The Diocese of Fort Wayne

Gc i

977.2

A^19d

v.l

1483492

GENEALOGY COLLECTION

6

^\A

lir'i IlirilS IIMlfiTiif , r.tlBLIC LIBRARY

I 3 1833 01705 7719
Gc 977.2 AL19D v. 1

Al_ERDING7 HSRMAN J0BEFH7

1845-1924.
The Diocese of Fort Wayne

Digitized by the Internet Archive

in 2010 with funding from

Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center

http://www.archive.org/details/dioceseoffortway01aler

THE

DIOCESE

OF

FORT WAYNE

1857— SEPTEMBER 22—1907

A Book of Historical Reference
1669-1907

BY THE

RT. REV. H. J. ALERDING

'■''Gather up the fragments that remain^ lest they be lost.''

THE ARCHER PRINTING CO. '<Sn^^^^ FORT WAYNE, INDIANA

1907

1483492

CONTENTS

PAGE

Preface 5

Chapter 1. A Bird's-eye view 9

Chapter II. Northern Indiana within the jurisdiction of
the Bishops of Quebec, Baltimore,

Bardstown and Vincennes 21

Chapter. 1 1 1. The Right Rev. John Henry Luers, D.D. . . 30

The First Bishop of Fort Wayne.
Chapter IV. The Right Rev. Joseph Dwenger,

C. PP. S., D.D 38

The Second Bishop of Fort Wayne.
Chapter V. The Right Rev. Joseph Rademacher, D.D. 46

The Third Bishop of Fort Wayne.
Chapter VI. The Right Rev. Herman Joseph Alerding,

D.D 53

The Fourth Bishop of Fort Wayne.

Chapter VII. Domestic Prelates of His Holiness 60

The Right Rev. Mgr. Julian Benoit, V.G.
The Right Rev. Mgr. John H. Oechtering, V.G.

Chapter VIII. The Clergy, Diocesan and Regular 64

Chapter IX. The Churches— Prior to 1857, inclusive. . 200

Chapter X. The Churches— From 1858 to 1867 266

Chapter XI. The Churches— From 1868 to 1877 314

Chapter XII. The Churches— From 1878 to 1887 354

Chapter XIII. The Churches— From 1888 to 1897 372

Chapter XIV. The Churches— From 1898 to 1907 390

Chapter XV. The Missions and Stations 402

Chapter XVI. The Congregation of Holy Cross, (C.S.C.) 429
Chapter XVII. The Congregation of the Most Precious

Blood, (C.PP.S.) 443

Chapter XVIII. The Religious Communities of Women. . 447

The Sisters of Holy Cross, Notre Dame, 1843.
Chapter XIX. The Religious Communities of Women,

continued 456

The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, Fort Wayne, 1863
Chapter XX. The Religious Communities of Women,

continued 460

The Sisters of St. Francis, Lafayette, 1875.

4 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

PAGE

Chapter XXI. The Religious Communities of Women,

continued 464

The Sisters of St. Joseph, Tipton, 1888.

Chapter XXII. The Religious Communities of Women,

continued 467

1. Sisters of Providence. — 1845.

2. Sisters of the Most Precious Blood. — 1853.

3. The School Sisters of Notre Dame. — 1865.

4. Sisters of St. Agnes.— 1872.

5. Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart. — 1876.

6. Felician Sisters of St. Francis. — 1880.

7. Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. — 1902.

8. Sisters of St. Dominic. — 1905.

9. Sisters of St. Francis. — 1906, Maryville.

Chapter XXIII. Institutions of Charity 475

The Diocesan Orphan Asylums:

1. St. Joseph's Asylum, for Boys.

2. St. Vincent's Asylum, for Girls.

Chapter XXIV. Institutions of Charity, continued 481

Hospitals:

1. St. Joseph's Hospital, at Fort Wayne. — 1869.
■ 2. St. Elisabeth's Hospital, at Lafayette.— 1875.

3. St. Joseph's Hospital, at South Bend.— 1882.

4. St. Joseph's Hospital, at Logansport. — 1893.

5. St. John's Hospital, at Anderson. — 1894.

6. St. Margaret's Hospital, at Hammond. — 1898.

7. St. Roch's Sanitarium, at Fort Wayne. — 1899.

8. The Holy Family Hospital, at Laporte.— 1900.

9. The Kneipp Sanitarium, at Rome City. — 1901.

10. The Sacred Heart Hospital, at Garrett.— 1901.

11. St. Anthony's Hospital, at Michigan City.— 1903.

12. St. Ann's Hospital, at Peru.

Chapter XXV. Institutions of Charity, continued 489

1. The Old People's Home, at Avilla.— 1876.

2. St. Anthony's Home for the Aged, at Lafayette.—

1897.

Chapter XXVI. Education 491

Chapter XXVII. Addenda 517

Index 520

PREFACE

I,

The History of the Church is a record of the mercies of
God on the human family. Considered in this Hght, the view
that history is self-glorification is narrow in the extreme, and
lacks the Christian instinct referring all things to God. The
same holds good, be it the history of the Church in general, or
of any portion of it. The purpose always is the glory of God
and the salvation of souls. Such is the issue, and not the
individual, not the missionary, not the priest; and therefor
the Church records should be kept accurately and not with-
held from publication. Gratitude prompts us to thank and
glorify the Giver on High.

Sublime doctrines replenish the priest's mind, heaven-
born aspirations exhilarate his heart, the salvation of others
fires his soul with charity; but the example of holy priests,
zealous, apostolic laborers in the Lord's vineyard stimulates
him to renewed and enduring activity. To study these men,
how they lived, labored, suffered and died, will foster within
him the heroic spirit of these grand characters. The laity is
similarly affected, when they read how the laity, not more than
two generations ago, brought exacting sacrifices, underwent
severe hardships of travel in heat and cold, for miles and miles,
over almost impassable roads, without breaking their fast, to
confess, and to receive, and to assist at the Holy Sacrifice,
and once more to hear the word of God preached to them.
The Catholic of the twentieth century can appreciate the
changed conditions only, by learning how the parishes, now
prosperous and flourishing, were organized; how the church-
buildings developed from the rude frame or log structure to the
magnificent edifices of today; what hardships and sufferings,
even the little ones had to undergo, to receive a Christian
education. And the lives of hundreds of priests and thousands
of noble lay-men will more than compensate for the scandalous
conduct of a few.

These and similar considerations suggested the usefulness
of the present work, and prompted its publication. It is a

6 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

plain statement of facts made on reliable authority. Its
defects are glaring, for the reason that hardly in a single instance
all the information that was wanted, could be obtained. No
effort was made to conceal these defects beneath glowing ver-
biage and glittering generalities. The priests, the religious and
several of the laity of the diocese have made this history
possible by freely giving their assistance. Without the assist-
ance of Rev. Wm. C. Miller, who spent nearly one year on it,
the history would not have been undertaken. He is deserving
the full credit, and the gratitude of all who appreciate what
has been accomplished in preserving these records of the dio-
cese. The reader is requested to note the defects whether of
commission or omission and communicate the same to us for
future use.

II.

This history has been in preparation since December 18,
1905, when the following circular was sent to the priests of
the diocese, with the request that the historical data be fur-
nished within six months:

"A. The history of your place before it had a church. If
the name of the place was changed at any time, give the change
or changes. Record the visits of the earliest missionaries to
your place or district. When did it become a STATION, that
is to say a place without a church, regularly visited? Who
were these visiting priests? Where did they reside? Give
some interesting particulars of this period. Were there any
note-worthy lay-men? What was the number of souls at this
time? What was the complexion of the Catholic population
as to nationality?

"B. Thehistory of your place when it became a MISSION,
that is to say, when it became a place with a church regularly
attended. What priests had charge of it during this time?
Where did they reside? In each case, if possible, give the year,
month and day when they took charge and when they ceased
to have charge of the mission. When was the first church
built? Describe this church. Who was the priest in charge
at the time of the building of the church? What was its cost?
How was the money raised? Give interesting particulars of
this period. Were there any note-worthy lay-men, with

Preface, Continued. 7

reference especially, to the founders of the parish? What was
the number of souls at this time?

"C. The history of your parish: 1. The church grounds.
How much ground has the church? When was the ground
acquired? Was it secured at one time or different times?
What was the cost? What priest or priests had charge at the
time of these purchases? Where did these priests reside?
2. The church. When was it built? Who was the priest at
the time? Describe the church, the style of architecture, the
decorations, the furniture, etc. How much did it all cost?
How was the money raised? Have improvements been made
on the church since its erection? What were they? When
were they made? What did they cost? Who was the priest
at the time? What is the seating capacity of the church? If
the present church is not the first church, then give the history
of the former church or churches. 3. The school. When
was it built? Who was the pastor at the time? Give the
dimensions of the building. Its capacity for school purposes.
How much did it cost? How was the money raised? Have
improvements been made since? What were they? When
were they made? At what cost? Who was the pastor?
4. The teachers. Who teaches the school? Are the teachers
male or female? Are they lay or religious? If religious, of
what community? How many teachers? What grades are
taught? Is there a high school or academy? How is the school
supported? What is the attendance at school? Where do the
teachers reside? If in a house specially for them, when was
this house built? What did it cost? Who was pastor? What
improvements since? When made? At what cost? Under
what pastor? 5. The priest's house. When was it built?
Who was the priest in charge? What was the cost? Have
improvements been made since? Is the present house the first?
If not then give the facts, dates, etc., concerning the former
house or houses. 6. If your church property has still other
church buildings, mention them, giving full information con-
cerning the time of their erection, their cost, their purpose,
their improvements, etc., as suggested by the above questions.
7. Give an account of the cemetery, its area, its cost, and
other facts. 8. What is the estimated value of your entire
church property? What is the amount of debt on the same?

8 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

9. Name the various societies in your parish. Give the dates
of their organization, their membership, their purpose, the good
accomplished, and so forth. 10. What is the number of
famihes and the number of souls in your charge? 11. Mention
any remarkable or extraordinary events in the history of your
parish. 12. How many boys of your parish have become
priests or have entered religious communities? How many
girls have become sisters? 13. What lay-men have done your
parish note-worthy services? What were these services?

"D. Missions and Stations, if you have charge of any
Missions or Stations in addition to the church of which you are
the resident pastor, then give information concerning each of
them, such as is suggested by the foregoing questions.

"E. The priests. Give a complete list of the priests who
served the Catholic people of your place or of your district in
the early missionary days, and of priests who visited your place
when it was a station, and of priests who attended the same
when it became a mission, and of the priests who became the
resident pastors. Give the dates on which their labors began
and ended. It would be an act deserving special commenda-
tion, if a brief biographical sketch of each of these priests were
given. If your parish has or has had assistant priests the
names, dates, and brief biography of them is wanted.

"F. Above all, give your own biography."

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY.

(a bird's eye view.)*

Indiana furnishes an excellent theme for history. The
little French colony on its soil grew around the forts, thrown
up by France as outposts, to protect the Illinois country and
the Mississippi. The more exposed lines, extending from
Niagara to Fort Duquesne, were simply military posts, around
which scarcely a sign of settlement arose.

The pioneer of the valley of the Wabash was, in all prob-
ability, Robert Cavalier, Sieur de LaSalle. Doubt has long
hung over his earlier explorations, about the year 1670; but
the studies of our best antiquarian topographer. General John
S. Clark, of Auburn, embracing every known document and
map bearing on the point, leave little doubt that, about 1670,
LaSalle passed from Lake Erie up the Maumee, crossed to the
Wabash, and descended it till he became discouraged, and his
men deserted. He was seeking the great river, called by the
Iroquois, Ohio, and by the Western Algonquin tribes, the Mis-
sissippi. Marquette subsequently passed the mouth of the
Ohio, which he called by its Algonquin name, Ouabouskigou,
the origin of our Wabash. There is no trace, in the "Jesuit
Relations," which were printed down to 1672, of any knowledge
of the Wabash river, or the shores of Lake Erie. The "Rela-
tions," prepared for the ensuing years to 1679, which I printed
from the old manuscripts, in all that they say of missionaries
employed in the West, make it evident that no Jesuit ever
reached the Wabash, before 1680. The early maps of Joliet,
their friend, and the companion of Marquette, do not indicate it.

Marquette and Allouez reached the Illinois villages by the
way of the Chicago river and the Desplaines; and the Recollects
with LaSalle did so by the way of the St. Joseph's. During

* "Diocese of VIncennes, Indiana. Its History, by Rev. H. Alerdinp. genially ap-
preciated by the historian of the Catholic Church in the United States, John Gilmary bhea.
New York Freedman Journal, January 26 and February 2, 1884.

10 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

LaSalle's personal occupation of the Illinois country, Father
Allouez kept aloof, as the great explorer was bitterly hostile
to the Jesuits: but after he went back to France, the missionary
was welcomed at the fort, in the Illinois country, by Chevalier
Tonti. He subsequently founded a mission on the St. Joseph's,
where wandering Miamis and Pottawottamies had gathered
from Green Bay, in which district he had long ministered to
them and the Maskoutens. The Marquis de Denonville, on
the 1st of October, 1686, granted to Father Claude Dablon,
Superior of the Jesuit Missions in Canada, a tract of land,
twenty arpents in front on the St. Joseph's River and of equal
depth, at such point as he might select, for a chapel and resi-
dence. A modest chapel and mission house rose twenty-five
leagues from the mouth of the river, and here Father Claude
Allouez died, August 27-8, 1689, and his remains, not im-
probably, repose within the limits of Indiana. Fathers Ave-
neau, Gravier and Chardon continued the St. Joseph's Mission,
till hostility between the French and the Miamis prevented
their labors for a time.

In 1719 Fort Ouiatenon grew up among the Ouiatenons
or Weas, another Miami tribe on the north bank of the Wabash,
below the present Lafayette. Father Mermet had been their
missionary, and may have labored here. Then Fort Miami
was established where Fort Wayne now stands and finally, in
1733, the Poste au Ouabache, which soon took the name of
its active commandant, a Canadian gentleman, John Babtiste
Bissot, called from a seigneury he owned in Canada, Sieur de
Vincennes. He had long been active in Western affairs, was
brother-in-law to Louis Joliet, the discoverer of the Missis-
sippi, and died nobly in an unfortunate campaign against the
Chickasaws.

A chapel, dedicated to St. Francis Xavier, was erected at
this last post, and there seems to have been chapels at Fort
Miami and at Fort Ouiatenon. On the 22nd of July, 1741, a
child was born at the last of these, who received in baptism the
name of Anthony Foucher. This boy was destined to be the
first native of the Wabash Valley, or indeed of the Western
country, who was raised to the priest-hood. He was ordained
by the Bishop of Quebec, October 30, 1774, and before he died,
in 1812, a Bishop, from the Southern bank of the Ohio, was

. Introductory, Continued. 1 1

reviving the Faith among his countrymen on the river of his
birth.

Our reverend historian of the diocese of Vincennes then
takes up the earHest Register of Vincennes, opening April 21,
1749, with the marriage of Juhan Trottier to Josette Marie.
The officiating clergyman was the Jesuit Father, Sebastian
Louis Meurin, who continued the labors of Allouez and Mermet.

Stirring times of wars with England had come, and the
little posts at Vincennes, Ouiatenon, Kaskaskia, St. Joseph's,
Prairie du Rocher were filled with tidings of battle and expe-
dition. The Jesuit Fathers, Vivier, Lamorinie, Foitier,
Dujaunay, all labored among the French and Indians of
Indiana, and the line of these pioneer priests of the Society
closes with Father Julian Duvernay, who officiated at the
chapel of St. Francis Xavier till 1763.

Then the flag of France was lowered at all the French posts
in the West, and English soldiers came to plant, amid these
French hamlets and their Indian friends, the flag of England.
It was regarded with sullen discontent, and when Pontiac
proposed to the Indian tribes a general rising, almost all the
English forts were captured and destroyed simultaneously.
Among them perished Fort Ouiatenon.

Of the state of religion, among these little communities
of Catholics in the far West, we know but what can be gleaned
from the parish registers and from lists that have been pre-
served of those who made their Easter duty; there is very rare
evidence of immorality; the colonists married young, and if
jovial, light-hearted and daring, more given to hunt and Indian
trade, than to patient tilling of the soil, they led moral lives,
were tolerably regular in their devotions, and the little com-
munities have no criminal record, no prisons, no deaths by
violence, no executions. Each little settlement had its notary,
and he or some other of the better educated read the mass-
prayers, and catechized the children, when no priest was there
to offer the Holy Sacrifice. At this time there were some
eighty or ninety families at Vincennes, fourteen at Ouiatenon
and nine or ten at the junction of the St. Joseph's and St.
Mary's.

The infidel council at New Orleans, in 1762, ordered all
Jesuit chapels to be razed, and one in Illinois, though on

12 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

English soil, was actually destroyed. When the English com-
manders came, the Catholics of Indiana felt despondent. The
fate of the Acadians, who, born and brought up under the
English flag, had been deprived of their homes and all they
possessed, and had been torn from their native land to be
flung as paupers along the Atlantic coast, was before them.
A similar fate might be theirs. On the 30th of December,
1764, a new era seemed to dawn, when Gen. Gage announced
in a proclamation, that the King of England granted to his
new Catholic subjects in the Illinois' country, liberty to enjoy
their religion undisturbed.

The people at Vincennes then sought to obtain a priest;
but the Bishop of Quebec, cut off from supply of clergymen
from France, deprived of the Jesuits and Recollects, who were
doomed to extinction, could not fmd priests to fill nearer
pressing wants. It was not till 1769, that the Rev. Peter
Gibault reached the Illinois country. At Vincennes, and the
adjoining missions, there were some 800 souls. They received
the priest with joy; marriages were solemnized, the children
privately baptized were christened with due ceremonies. The
Mission was one to attract him, with its orchard and gardens,
but his field of labor included also the Missions in Illinois, and
his visits to Vincennes were made at stated intervals.
+ In 1772, the little Catholic community in the Wabash
valley were startled by an order of Gen. Gage, which seemed
to prelude a new Acadian outrage. They were all commanded
to leave the settlements; when they protested against the cruel
order, he demanded the title deeds of the lands they held. It
was evident, that it was the purpose to drive the Catholic
settlers from British soil, doubtless to gratify the bitter anti-
Catholic feeling in the English colonies at the East.

But the Parliament of Great Britain, on the 2nd of June,
1774, passed a law which precipitated the American Revolu-
tion, by arousing all the bigotry of the colonies. This was
the "Quebec Act," by which the people of Canada were per-
mitted to retain their French laws and customs, and the
Catholic Church was maintained in all its rights. The French
settlements at the West, in our present Michigan, Indiana,
Illinois and Wisconsin, were by the act included in the province
of Quebec. The Church there was thus formally recognized

Introductory, Continued. 13

by the English Government, an'd the right of the Bishop of
Quebec to appoint priests, of the priests to receive tithes, was
guaranteed by law. The oath of allegiance required to be
taken was such, as Catholics could lawfully take, not such a
one as was tendered to the Acadians, who were condemned as
Popish Recusants.

This guarantee of religious freedom filled the Catholics on
the Detroit, the Wabash, the Illinois and Mississippi with joy;
but by the people of the English colonies, it was regarded in
the light of a grievous and bitter wrong. It is denounced in
our Declaration of Independence as an act of pretended legis-
lation "for abolishing the free system of English laws in a
neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary govern-
ment, and enlarging its boundaries, so as to render it at once
an example and a fit instrument, for introducing the same
absolute rule into these colonies." 1 cannot find that in the
legislation or judicial decisions of those Western States, this
act has ever been recognized as having been in force, but it
certainly was at least till July 4, 1776, when the severing of
all allegiance to England may have modified the condition of
affairs; but this is a question for constitutional lawyers to
decide.

When the Revolution broke out, the English Government,
which had appointed Indian agents, controlled the various
tribes of red men, and used them against the thirteen States;
and it became important to destroy this influence. The Con-
tinental Congress had no resources, but Virginia claimed the
country, northwest of the Ohio, as part of her territory. In
the summer of 1778, an expedition from Virginia, under Colonel
George R. Clark appeared before Kaskaskia, after a brave and
hardy march. The French settlers and their priest, Rev. Peter
Gibault, received him without opposition; and Clark, by the
aid of this clergyman and of Colonel Vigo, a Spanish settler
there, reduced Vincennes, capturing the British commandant.

Indiana thus became part of Virginia, and came within
the sway of Congress. The people took the oath of allegiance
to the Commonwealth of Virginia, and its laws were extended
over all the territory.

Virginia had been fiercely anti-Catholic; its colonial statute
book teems with penal laws against the Catholics, and one may

14 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

be cited as a sample, which put the testimony of a CathoHc
on a par with that of a negro slave, something not to be received
in a court of justice. In Virginia a man might with impunity
kill another in presence of a Catholic or a slave.

This old spirit soon showed itself; for shortly after the
temporary Government was organized by Colonel Todd, the
French settlers were, as under Gage, summoned to produce
the titles by which they held their lands. Yet, amid the un-
easiness produced by this hostile act, the Catholic settlers did
not waver in their new allegiance, but bore their part in the
struggle. In the autumn of 1780, LaBalme, with a party
including many from Vincennes, captured the British post,
Kekionga, on the Maumee, and died bravely soon after, over-
powered by numbers, at the River a-Boite.

In 1781, Virginia relinquished to Congress the territory
northwest of the Ohio, and the deed confirmed the French
titles, including those of the churches in Indiana, Illinois and
Michigan.

The course pursued by the Rev. Peter Gibault, cut him
off from all aid or recognition in Canada, so that he had to
struggle on alone, reduced with his people to great penury, by
their sacrifices for the national cause. During the long interval
from 1779 to 1784, he was unable to visit Vincennes. He came
at last with Rev. Payet, and revived religion once more. The
next year he took up his abode at Vincennes, built a new log
church, ninety feet long by forty-two broad, the old church
being remodeled for his residence. Here he remained till the
nth of October, 1789.

Meanwhile, the treaty of Paris, in 1783, had recognized
the independence of the United States, with its territory ex-
tending to the eastern bank of the Mississippi; and the clergy
in Maryland and Pennsylvania, who had at first, from fear of
offending Protestant prejudice against Bishops, deprecated the
appointment of one, had solicited that a Bishop should be
placed over them. Pope Pius the Sixth, in 1784, appointed
the Rev. John Carroll, Prefect Apostolic; but the pastor at
Vincennes was a stranger amid the clergy in the United States,
while he was under the ban in Canada, where the Bishop had
excommunicated all who joined the Americans, and still refused
the sacraments to all, who had not remained faithful to the

Introductory, Continued. 15

British cause. Yet, the northwest territory was still part of
the Diocese of Quebec, although the Bishop exercised no juris-
diction. This unfortunate condition of affairs lasted, till the
erection of the See of Baltimore by Pope Pius VI., November
6, 1789, when in express terms he directed "all the clergy and
people dwelling in the aforesaid United States of America,
though hitherto they may have been subject to other Bishops
of other dioceses, to be henceforward subject to the Bishop of
Baltimore." The Bishop of Quebec, though protesting pro
forma against a division of his diocese without his knowledge,
gladly relinquished all claim and jurisdiction over a district,
whose spiritual wants he had neither inclination nor power to
supply.

Down to this period, the territory of the subsequently
erected diocese of Vincennes was under the ecclesiastical law
of France, as held in Canada. The priest received his tithes,
the decrees of the Council of Trent were regarded as published
as much as in Canada — the same holy days of obligation and
fast days were observed as on the banks of the St. Lawrence.

The diocese of Baltimore, as established by the Holy See,
included the whole territory then belonging to the United
States, and recognized by the treaty of Paris, in 1783. Its
Western limit was the Mississippi; Florida with the Gulf shore,
Louisiana, and all the territory west of the Mississippi, were
in the hands of Spain; over it the Archbishop of Santiago de
Cuba had, since 1776, extended his ecclesiastical jurisdiction,
and through a Bishop Auxiliary he was endeavoring to bring
in the discipline of the Church.

Bishop Carroll with few priests, no seminary, no institu-
tions of any kind, found himself unable to meet the calls, that
came from all parts of the vast country, confided to him.
Natchez was visited by the Spanish ecclesiastics of New Orleans ;
but the Northwest was destitute of priests.

That district had another difficulty. The bigotry of John
Jay, in 1775, prevented Canada from joining the thirteen
colonies; the same feeling made him, in 1786, an indifferent
diplomatist, when Franklin was willing to make any concession
to induce England to yield it to us. England retained Canada
not only, but for years maintained her military possession of
Detroit, and her influence over the Indian tribes of the West^

16 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

whom she incited to hostility against the Americans. The
CathoHcs of the North-West were true; Hving from infancy in
intimate relations with the various nations, they knew their
language, their disposition, their ideas. But for their aid as
agents, interpreters, deputies, the United States Government
would have been powerless in the West.

But the want of priests was felt by all. The storm of the
French revolution sent, at the opportune moment, a number
of learned, zealous priests to this country. One of these, the
Rev. Benedict Joseph Flaget, was sent by Bishop Carroll to
Vincennes soon after his arrival, in 1792. Travel was slow and
difficult. It took twenty days to reach Pittsburg from Phila-
delphia; and to reach Vincennes was often a matter of months.
The good priest arrived at his ruinous log chapel, in season to
celebrate Mass at Christmas, after restoring the tottering altar,
and giving the church such renovation and decoration as time
and means permitted. There was a community of 700, but in
the long period when no priest was there, so great had indiffer-
ence grown, that only twelve approached the Sacraments, at
the great Solemnity. He went to work, however, with the zeal
which characterized him through his long Apostolic career, and
was consoled with seeing that the majority became commun-
icants, just reversing the numbers that shocked him on his
arrival. He opened a school, encouraged industry, thrift and
charity. The neighboring Indians also received his care, and
his labors during the ravages of the small-pox completely
prostrated him. Having been recalled to Baltimore, he left
Vincennes in the spring of 1795.

To replace him, Bishop Carroll sent the Rev. John Francis
Rivet, who had arrived from Spain in December, 1794. Wash-
ington had seen the happy influence of Father Flaget over the
Indians, and wished a priest to aid the Government in carrying
out a beneficent policy, v^^hich would tend to their civilization,
and who would teach them the advantages of the Christian
religion. Father Rivet's offer of his services was accepted; he
was directed to establish himself on the Wabash, and a salary
allotted to him. Though the Government long neglected to
pay this sum, needed for his support, Father Rivet, says
Bishop Carroll, "applies himself incessantly in fulfilling the
objects of his appointment, and disposing the Indians to main-

Introductory, Continued. 17

tain a friendly temper towards the United States. He is in-
defatigable in instructing them in the principles of Christianity,
and not without success." The historian of the diocese of
Vincennes shows, from the records, to how many different
tribes his zealous care extended. By any one who remembers,
how those Indians, under English influence, made war on this
country, defeated St. Clair and Harman, and yielded to Gen.
Wayne only after a stubborn fight, the service done the country
by the Catholic priests and people can be estimated. The
English Government knew and felt Father Rivet's power, and
a priest from Canada, a future bishop of Halifax, was sent to
employ his influence with the Indians, to induce them to make
no alliance with the Americans.

Rev. John Francis Rivet became Vicar General in the
West, in 1798, and continued his labors till he sank under them,
in 1804. Vincennes was then for years without a settled pastor;
visited at intervals by Rev. Donatian Olivier from Illinois, and
by Revs. Baden and Nerinckx from Kentucky.

When the See of Bardstown was erected, the people of
Vincennes applied to their old pastor, the newly consecrated
Bishop of Bardstown, for a priest. He visited them himself
in 1814, and, with Rev. D. Olivier, remained some time in
instructing the people so long neglected, and for the first time
administered the Sacrament of Confirmation in Indiana. He
visited them again and again, as missionary and as Bishop,
but it was not until 1818, that Vincennes received a pastor,
in the person of the Rev. Anthony Blanc, who, during a two
years' incumbency, not only revived faith at Vincennes, but
built two log chapels, one at seven miles and the other at twelve
miles distance. Two other priests assisted him at intervals.
He was succeeded by Revs. Dahman and Champourier.

The Catholic Almanac of 1822 thus briefly gives its account
of the Church in three States, which now form eight dioceses,
presided over by two Archbishops and six Bishops; "the states
of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois are daily adding more and more
to the Church. In each of these, several large congregations
of Catholics are found. They are chiefly French, who extended
themselves through parts of this country as early as the 17th
century. Vincennes, in Indiana, was formerly a station of the
Jesuits, whence they made excursions among the savage tribes."

18 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Father Champourier, sent there in May, 1823, describes
the Church in Vincennes as so "nearly rotten and out of repair,
that at any httle storm it becomes very dangerous to stay in
it. Moreover, it is open to every wind and penetrated by every
drop of rain," and he appealed in the papers to the Catholics
of the country, for aid in the erecting a more suitable church.
He was the only resident pastor, with a whole State, and even
more, for his parish.

When Bishop Flaget visited Indiana 1829, he found Cath-
olics at New Albany, the Knobs, Black Oak Ridge and Wash-
ington. The jubilee granted by Pope Leo XII was proclaimed;
Mass was offered at all these stations, instructions given,
marriages and baptisms performed, or revalidated.

A new Catholicity was thus growing up around the old
cradle of the faith at Vincennes. So promising did the future
seem, that Bishop Plaget met Bishop Rosati, of St. Louis, at
Vincennes in 1832, and after examining the condition of affairs
and the prospect of an increase by immigration, these two
great Bishops resolved, to address the Holy See and solicit the
erection of Indiana into a diocese, with the See at Vincennes;
and for the mitre they agreed to propose the President of Mt.
St. Mary's College, the Rev. Simon Gabriel Brute.

The first of our present series of Catholic Almanacs, that
published in 1833, gives its account of Indiana so briefly, that
we may be allowed to copy it in full: "Black Oak Ridge,
Davies County, Rev. Simon Lalumiere. Mount Pleasant,
occasionally. Vincennes, 693 m. from Washington. Rev. L.
Picot." This was all the actual material for the new diocese.

One of these, apparently the Ven. Father Lalumiere, him-
self a native of the State, in the spring of 1833 said Mass for
the four or five Catholic families of Columbus, and preached in
the Court House; then said Mass at Shelby for ten Catholic
families. At St. Peter's, in Daviess County, the Sisters of
Charity, it would seem, had opened a school, and he began to
talk of a church at Washington, Indiana, and the Bishop who
was expected. "The Catholic population of Indiana is greater
than would readily be supposed, and is constantly and rapidly
increasing," he adds.

There seemed to be no very encouraging field for a Bishop,
but the Rev. Dr. Brute resigned his position at Emmitsburg,

Introductory, Continued. 19

for which he was so well fitted, *and where as professor and
president he had produced an indelible impression on the young
levites, confided to his care. At the call of his Superiors and
yielding to the judgment of those whom he respected, he
.assumed the arduous duty of building up a new diocese. He
had seen the struggles and difficulties of others, and had no
unfounded hopes.

The diocese of Vincennes as established by the Holy See,
in 1834, included the State of Indiana, and also about a third
of Illinois. Having accepted the Bulls, he made a retreat at
Bardstown, and was consecrated in the cathedral of St. Louis,
October 28, 1834, by Bishop Flaget, assisted by Bishops Rosati
and Purcell. He was welcomed with joy at Vincennes, and
took possession of his little brick cathedral and his palace,
which was a one story building, measuring twenty-five feet by
twelve. He had in his diocese two priests in Indiana, Revs.
Lalumiere and Ferneding, the latter the pioneer priest of the
German settlers, and one in Illinois, Rev. J. M. J. St. Cyr, then
at Chicago. There was, besides. Rev. Badin's Mission at South
Bend, with the Sisters and an Indian school.

He made a visitation of his diocese, to discover where
there were Catholics to be attended, at what points churches
could be established and maintained. Then, with some
definite idea of the wants of the diocese, he went to Europe to
.solicit aid for the flock of all nations gathered in Indiana, old
French settlers to the "manner born," Americans from Mary-
land and Kentucky, Irish and Germans. In Europe he pro-
cured material aid, and appealed to his Breton countrymen for
priests to aid him. The men of St. Patrick's race did not turn
a deaf ear to the call; priests came, of sterling qualities, who
made Indiana the field of their long and untiring labor. How
the Bishop, after his return, devoted himself to his duties as
bishop and missionary, our reverend author tells most touch-
ingly. His short career one of constant visitation, closed in
June, 1839, in a calm and holy death, fit crown for such a life.

The Rev. Celestine de la Hailandiere, one of the Breton
priests who came to Bishop Brute's aid in 1836, had been ap-
pointed coadjutor, and became the second bishop of Vincennes.
He was in Europe, at the time of Bishop Brute's death, and
began his labors for his diocese by sending over priests, vest-

20 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

ments, sacred vessels. He induced the Eudists to undertake
a theological seminary at Vincennes, Father Sorin, of the Holy
Cross, to begin the work at Notre Dame, which God has so
wonderfully blessed; the Sisters of Providence, to begin that
institute, which possesses such a special charm of spirituality.

On reaching his diocese. Bishop de la Hailandiere began
to introduce system and order; he held a retreat for his clergy,
followed by a Synod. The erection of the See of Chicago, in
1844, relieved him of the Illinois portion of his diocese, but his
energy and activity were of the kind that, directed by another,
effect great results, but which, when not accompanied by the
power to direct and employ others, produce discontent and
confusion. He resigned the See in 1847, and returned to
Brittany, where he died in May, 1882. By his own desire, his
remains were brought across the Atlantic by his near kinsman,
the Rev. E. Audran, to be laid in the Cathedral, which he
never ceased to love.

Bishop Bazin, his successor, died in less than six months
after his consecration; and the mitre of Vincennes was placed
on the head of the Rev. Maurice de St. Palais, a native of the
diocese of Montpelier, who had been on the Indiana mission
since 1836, an earnest laborer, cheerfully enduring hardships
and perils of no ordinary character. His appointment was
welcomed by all ; and his first work the establishment of asylums,
for the care of the orphans. It was to his zeal that Indiana is
indebted for the introduction of the Benedictine monks, from
the famous Abbey of Einsiedlen, who made St. Meinrad, so
well known.

Bishop de St. Palais' labors in Indiana as priest and bishop
covered a term of nearly fifty years. It was, therefore, espec-
ially under his care that religion developed, the administrations
of his predecessors having been too brief, to do more than plan
the good they desired to accomplish.

He died in June, 1877, Bishop of Vincennes, having de-
clined the appointment of Arch-bishop of Toulouse. He was
not even Bishop of the whole State of Indiana, the See of Fort
Wayne having been erected in 1857, which comprised the
Northern part of Indiana.

CHAPTER 11.

NORTHERN INDIANA WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE BISHOPS
OF QUEBEC, BALTIMORE, BARDSTOWN AND VINCENNES —
BISHOPS OF QUEBEC, 1674-1789; BISHOP CARROLL OF BAL-
TIMORE, 1789-1810; bishop flaget of bardstown, 1810-
1834; bishops brute, de la hailandiere, bazin and de

ST, PALAIS OF VINCENNES, 1834-1857.

Naturally, the heads of various orders and religious com-
munities exercised jurisdiction over their subjects, such as the
Franciscans, the Dominicans, the Jesuits and others, who
labored in various regions of this vast country, from the earliest
days. When, however, the first Bishop of Quebec was installed
in the year 1674, this Bishop and his successors exercised
jurisdiction over the territory, now known as Indiana, Michigan,
Illinois, Maine, Ohio and New York. The British Colonies
on the Atlantic coast, from New Hampshire to Georgia, in the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, were subject to the
Vicars Apostolic of the London district, England. During
this time, Florida and Louisiana, embracing all west of the
Mississippi, belonged to the diocese of Santiago de Cuba;
Texas was part of the diocese of Guadalajara; New Mexico
of that of Durango, and California was governed by a Prefect
Apostolic.

Pope Pius VI appointed the Rev. John Carroll Prefect
Apostolic in the United States, in June, 1784; but the juris-
diction of the Bishop of Quebec continued, until the same Pope
erected the new See of Baltimore, on November 6, 1789.
Bishop Carroll was consecrated August 15, 1790, and his
diocese was made coextensive with the United States. A
diocesan synod was held at Baltimore, with an attendance of
twenty-two priests, on November 7, 1791. In 1800, Bishop
Neale became Bishop Carroll's Coadjutor. On April 8, 1808,
Pope Pius VII raised Baltimore to the rank of a Metropolitan
See, and founded the new dioceses of Boston, New York,
Philadelphia and Bardstown. The Catholic population, at

22 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

this time, was estimated at about 25,000, with 68 priests, 80
churches, several rehgious orders and three colleges. Rt. Rev.
John Carroll was born in Maryland, January 8, 1735. He
attended the college at St. Omer in Flanders, and entered the
Society of Jesus at Watton, 1753. He was ordained priest
in 1761. In June, 1774, he returned to America and labored
there, as a secular priest, in Maryland and Virginia. He was
consecrated Bishop, August 15, 1790, and was made Arch-
bishop in 1808. He died December 3, 1815. Pastoral letters
show the Bishop caring for his flock; his controversy with
Wharton and others show his ability in defending the faith
against assaults.

Rt. Rev. Benedict Joseph Flaget was born of a widowed
mother, November 7, 1763, at Coutournat, France. Two years
old his mother also died, and an aunt took charge of the boy.
He began his study of philosophy and theology, at the age of
seventeen, in the Seminary at Clermont, finishing the same at
Issy, and was ordained priest in 1788. When the French
Revolution broke up all institutions of learning in France,
Father Flaget sailed for Baltimore, in 1792. Bishop Carroll
sent him to Vincennes, Indiana, where he arrived December
21, 1792. He was recalled to Baltimore in 1795. On Novem-
ber 4, 1810, he was consecrated Bishop of Bardstown, having
up to that time been engaged mostly in teaching. He visited
Indiana several times as Bishop, but whether he came as far
as the present diocese of Fort Wayne, is not known. Bishop
David became his Coadjutor in 1819, Bishop Chabrat in 1834,
and, at the time of his death, it was Bishop Spalding. "He
died, as he had lived, a saint," says Bishop Spalding, "on Feb-
ruary 11, 1850." The diocese of Bardstown, when first estab-
lished, comprised Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio and all the
Northwest. Our historian Shea says of Bishop Flaget: "No
Bishop, in this country, has ever been regarded as equalling
Bishop Flaget in sanctity, in the spirit of prayer, in the ardor
of his devotion, his firmness, patience and constant devotion
to all the duties of his State." A number of seemingly well-
authenticated miraculous cures were ascribed to Bishop Flaget,
while visiting France. An account of these cures, bearing
every evidence of a miraculous nature, was given in "The
Record," published at Louisville, under dates of January 26

i6y4 — i8^j, Continued. 23

and February 2, 1905. It was in 1841 Bishop Flaget's See
was transferred from Bardstown to Louisville.

The diocese of Vincennes was established in 1834. It
comprised Indiana, and Illinois east of a line from Fort Massac
along the Eastern boundaries of Johnson, Franklin, Jefferson,
Marion, Fayette, Shelby and Mann Counties to the Illinois
river, eight miles above Ottawa, and thence to the Northern
boundary of the State.

The Rt. Rev. Simon Gabriel Brute de Remur was born
at Rennes, the capital of Brittany, in France, on March 20,
1779. The untimely death of his father threw the responsi-
bility of his education on his mother, a woman of strong Chris-
tian character. How well she succeeded may be learned from
the Bishop's reminiscences referring to his first Communion,
where he says: "\ thank Thee, O my God, for the state of
innocence and piety I was in the day I performed this most
important act. My heart is full when I think of that day —
thanks, thanks, O my God!" A retentive memory, a lively
imagination, and close application made him a ripe and ac-
complished scholar. He was well advanced in his studies,
having become familiar with Latin and Greek, when the
revolution broke out. During this reign of terror, unhappy
France was deluged with the blood of her best and noblest
sons. He witnessed it all. Having entered the medical
college in 1796, he graduated 1803. In the same year, however,
he gave up the practice of medicine and entered the Seminary
of St. Sulpice, at Paris. Five years of earnest and brilliant
studies in theology, brought him to the gates of the sanctuary,
and he was ordained priest in 1 808. Following Bishop Flaget
to America, he landed at Baltimore on August 10, 1810. He
was there made president of St. Mary's College, and donated
it his library of 5,000 volumes. We are told, "He was an
oracle of learning to the clergy and bishops of the country.
Indeed, from his secluded home in the mountain, his influence
was felt throughout the entire Church of America," — the
influence of a learned and holy man.

He was consecrated Bishop of Vincennes, October 28,
1834, at St. Louis by Bishop Flaget, assisted by Bishops Rosati
and Purcell, He was duly installed on November 5, by the
same Bishops, at Vincennes. What he found in his diocese

24 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

was: Two priests, a cathedral of four brick walls and roof
unplastered and unwhitewashed, without sanctuary, a resi-
dence of a single room 25x12 feet, a revenue of $100 pew rent
per annum, and a subscription list of $240 for his support.
A visitation of his diocese revealed to him the great need of
priests, and means to erect churches, and to supply these he
visited France. After incredible hardships and labors, he died
June 26, 1839, of consumption, the result of a severe cold caught
while riding on the outside of a coach, in Ohio, on his way to
the Council at Baltimore. His remains rest in the crypt of
the Cathedral of Vincennes.

It must be of great interest to the reader, to ascertain the
status, in those days, of what is now the diocese of Fort Wayne.
We can do no better, in this respect, than to quote from Bishop
Brute's letter to the Leopoldine Association for the propagation
of the faith, giving a full account of his first episcopal visitation
in his diocese: "I went North in Illinois as far as Chicago
on Lake Michigan. Rev. St. Cyr had arrived there from St.
Louis, and enabled the Catholics to make their Easter Com-
munion, so 1 gave only a few Confirmation. Chicago is now
composed of about four hundred souls, French, Canadians,
Americans, Irish, and a good number of Germans. From
Chicago we went around the end of Lake Michigan to the
river St. Joseph, and the mission of the Rev. de Seille, at the
Indian village at Pokegan, situated just outside of our diocese,
and in that of Detroit. This mission was established, many
years ago, by the Venerable Father Badin. Father de Seille
has lived three or four years at Pokegan. On Thursday
evening we arrived at South Bend, a little town beautifully
situated on the high banks of the St. Joseph river. It is
growing rapidly, owing to its many advantages. Crossing the
river, we visited St. Mary of the Lake, the mission house of the
excellent Father Badin, who has lately moved to Cincinnati.
He had a school there kept by two Sisters, who have also gone
away, leaving the place vacant. The 625 acres of land attached
to it, and the small lake named St. Mary's, make it a most
desirable spot and one soon, I hope, to be occupied by some
prosperous institution. Rev. Badin has transferred it to the
Bishop on the condition of his assuming the debts, a trifling
consideration compared with the importance of the place. On

16^4 — f^^j, Continued. 25

Friday morning we left for the Tippecanoe river, and the
village of Chickagos. The Indians had heard of our coming,
and had sent some of their number in advance, to ascertain
our movement. They gave notice of our approach to others,
who had camped out a few miles to wait for the Bishop, and
to make a more worthy escort for him. The chief of the
Chickagos was there and directed the movements. Coffee had
been prepared at the small village, only three miles from the
principal one. We dismounted, and sitting on mats of woven
straw partook of their kind cheer. Then we crossed the river
and soon arrived.

"Chickagos village is not so large as Pokegan, yet the chapel
is nearly as large. It is however without ceiling, and without
a room for the missionary overhead. The mission being of
later standing. Father de Seille had baptized only about 120
persons, of whom 1 confirmed sixteen. Our interpreter was a
Canadian woman seventy years of age, a truly deserving person.
On our arrival all assembled in the chapel and Father de Seille
introduced me as their Bishop, the head in these parts of all
the other Black Robes. On Sunday morning, Father de Seille
and myself sat upon two little stools in the chapel, and some
twelve of the leading men came in and took their seats upon
some of the opposite benches. Chickagos made the speech and,
having expressed his confidence in Father de Seille and in me,
he said he would present me with half a section, 320 acres of
their land. Having replied through the interpreter, we pre-
pared for Mass and Confirmation. Before Mass six children
were baptised by me. We slept on the benches of the chapel,
and some of the straw from the floor, wrapt up in our great-
coats, after the manner of the good Father. Our food was
boiled corn, fish, venison, and wild turkey, minced together in
one dish, and some cranberries broken and mixed with sugar,
they got from trees. Our drink was water, coffee was not to
be had, although this was the principal village. I was to
leave them after vespers, so before we began they came to sign
the deed of the land, presented to the Church, which we had
drawn up in as legal a form as we could. After a few parting
words, and giving them my blessing, we mounted our horses
and were escorted for some miles by a large number, Chickagos
at their head, who before leaving us dismounted from their

26 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

horses, and asked their Bishop's blessing again. We spent the
night at the house of a settler, fifteen miles from Chickagos,
and found the house so full that many had to lie on the floor,
as I had done once on my way to the lake. Here we had a
bed for two, as was often the case. Through all that journey
of 600 miles, we seldom came to any regular taverns, but almost
every family would allow you to share their meals, and give
you a place under their roof.

"The day after we reached Logansport, a rapidly improving
town on the canal, that is nearly completed and will unite the
Wabash with the Maumee at Fort Wayne, and thus Lake Erie
with the Ohio and the Mississippi, through the States of Indiana
and Illinois. I found there a good number of Catholics, and
promised to send them one of the first priests I could obtain.
I said Mass the next morning and then left for home, yet some
days' journey, passing through Fayetteville, Attica, Covington,
Terre Haute, etc. Few Catholics are as yet collected in these
growing towns, but soon there will be more. Shortly after
my return. Father Lalumiere came home and the account of
his journey was very consoling. He had found more Catholics
than I had, and many places ready to receive a priest. In
three places they had begun to build churches. At Fort Wayne
they had finished one, 60x30 feet, and the congregation num-
bered 150 Catholic families. I was happy to send them the
Rev. M. Ruff from Metz, in France, recently ordained and
speaking the three languages, French, English and German.
Of the latter there are a good many living there and in the
environments. I had ordained Rev. M. Ruif subdeacon and
deacon before my journey to Chicago, and had sent him to
the Seminary of St. Louis (St. Mary of the Barrens), to make
his retreat, and there he was ordained priest by that excellent
prelate, Doctor Rosati."

Right Rev. Celestine Rene Lawrence Guynemer de
LA Hailandiere, the second Bishop of Vincennes, was born
at Combourg, in Brittany, May 2, 1798, and was baptized the
same day, this being the time of the revolution, by a priest
who was concealed in the house. He studied law, to fit himself
for the magistracy. At the age of twenty-four, attending a
mission given by the Fathers of the Faith, he resolved to
renounce the world and the flattering prospects held out to

11

i6j4 — ■j857> Continued. 27

him. He entered the Seminary at Rennes, and was ordained
at Paris, on May 28, 1825. When Bishop Brute requested the
Bishop of Rennes, to give him the name of a priest worthy to
be his Vicar General and Coadjutor, the Abbe de la Halandiere
was selected. He came to America, in 1836, but two years
later was again sent to Europe in the interest of the diocese.
While there busily engaged, information reached him at Paris,
that Bishop Brute had died, and that he himself had been
appointed Bishop Brute's Coadjutor. He was consecrated
Bishop at Paris, by Bishop Forbin Janson, on August 18, 1839,
and made every exertion to obtain needed aid for his diocese.
He sent over vestments and sacred vessels for the churches,
the Eudists to found a college. Fathers and Brothers of the
Holy Cross, Sisters of Providence. After returning to his
diocese, one of his first acts was to hold a retreat for his clergy,
which was followed by a diocesan Synod, in 1844. Bishop
Hailandiere was a man of restless activity, and his energy
made him unpopular with many. Aware of this, he visited
Rome, in 1845, to resign his see, but Pope Gregory XVI induced
him to return to his diocese, and resume his labors. He did
so, but the old troubles continued and new ones were added,
so that in 1847 the Holy Father accepted his resignation. He
returned to his native country and died on an estate belonging
to the family, at Triandin, on May 1, 1882. It was his desire
that his remains be buried beneath the sanctuary of the Cathe-
dral at Vincennes. His wish was complied with.

Right Rev. John Stephen Bazin, third Bishop of Vin-
cennes, was born in 1796, in the diocese of Lyons, France,
where he entered the priesthood and came as a missionary to
the diocese of Mobile, in 1830. He labored with great zeal
and devotedness for the Church, in the city of Mobile, for a
period of seventeen years. He was Bishop Portier's Vicar
General. Upon the recommendation of the sixth Provincial
Council of Baltimore, he was appointed Bishop of X'incennes.
His consecration took place in the Cathedral at Vincennes, on
October 24, 1847, Bishop Portier being the Consecrator. He
issued a pastoral letter, in which he said to his clergy: "Having
been inured for many years to the labors of a missionary life,
we feel ready, in spite of our advanced age, to share with you
all the hardships of the ministry. We are ambitious of no

28 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

distinction. We expect to find in each of you a friend." But
in the Providence of God he was almost immediately stricken
down, and expired on April 23, 1848.

Right Rev. James Maurice de Long D'Aussac de St.
Palais, D. D., the fourth Bishop of Vincennes, was born at
La Salvatat, diocese of Montpelier, France, on November 15,
1811. He descended from one of the noblest families of France.
His forefathers fought against the Moors and in the Crusades.
His friends and relatives entertained well grounded hopes, as
to the brilliancy of the future awaiting him. He received an
education such as became a nobleman. The downfall of
Charles X, and the revolution of 1830, convinced him of the
vanity of all earthly things. In the twenty-fifth year of his
age he was ordained priest, by the Archbishop of Paris.

He heeded the invitation of Bishop Brute, seeking laborers
for the Lord's vineyard in the wilds of Indiana, and following
him arrived in Vincennes in 1836. He was assigned to a station
about thirty-five miles east of Vincennes, where he built St.
Mary's Church. Not understanding the German, he frequently
made use of a Lutheran as an interpreter, translating his French
and English sermon into German. The bulk of the money to
build St. Mary's Church, was realized from the sale of a herd
of hogs, which had been donated by the heads of families.
It is said this was the best herd of hogs ever sold in Daviess
county. He remained until 1839, when Bishop de la Hailan-
diere sent him to Chicago. Conditions in Chicago were not
favorable; he met with much opposition from the dissatisfied
portion of his flock. They first burnt his little shanty, and for
two years refused to pay him any money, with the avowed
purpose of starving him out, but he built St. Mary's Church
at Chicago, which shortly after, in the year 1844, when Chicago
was made an episcopal see, became its first cathedral.

In that same year Father de St. Palais was removed to
Logansport. He underwent incredible hardships, travelling
through the wilderness without roads and without meeting a
human habitation for fifty or a hundred miles. His saddlebags
contained the requisites for the holy functions, together with
a little sack of salt and cornmeal for his meals.

In 1846, Father de St. Palais was sent to Madison, where
he remained one year only. Bishop Bazin, in 1847, made him

16^4 — ^^57> Concluded. 29

his Vicar General and the Superior of the Seminary at Vincennes.
He was administrator of the diocese from April 23, 1848, until
January 14, 1849, when Bishop Miles of Nashville consecrated
Father de St. Palais Bishop of Vincennes. Almost the first
work which he undertook and brought to a successful issue,
was the erection of orphan asylums. And the other important
work was, to look after the Seminary. He paid three visits
ad limina, the first in 1849, the second in 1859, and the third
in 1869. In 1844 the diocese of Chicago was established, and
thereafter the diocese of Vincennes was restricted to Indiana.
Thirteen years later, in 1857, the Northern half of Indiana was
made the diocese of Fort Wayne. Bishop de St. Palais had
been present at the commencement exercises at St. Mary's of
the Woods, when on the morning of June 28, 1877, at five
o'clock, he suffered a stroke of paralysis and died peacefully
on the afternoon of the same day, at four o'clock. His remains
rest beneath the sanctuary of the Cathedral at Vincennes.

I

CHAPTER III.

THE RIGHT REV. JOHN HENRY LUERS, D. D.
THE FIRST BISHOP OF FORT WAYNE.

The Rt. Rev. John Henry Luers, D. D., was born on Sep-
tember 29, 1819, near the city of Munster, in Westphaha, a
province of Germany. His parents were devoted CathoHcs.
Poor in the goods of this world, and desirous of bettering their
condition in life, the family emigrated in 1833, landing in New
York on June 7th. Piqua, Ohio, located on the Miami river,
and being the terminus of the Miami canal, connected Cin-
cinnati on the Ohio river with Toledo on the Lakes. It was
here, on a farm in the neighborhood of Piqua, that the Luers
family settled down. John, however, became clerk and assis-
tant salesman in a store in town. He was noted for strict
integrity and attention to business, but alas! he began to neglect
the exercise of his religion. When on one occasion the young
clerk was paying his parents a visit, the father was amazed to
find that his son John had forgotten his prayers. The Bishop
himself in after life, alluding to this incident, often remarked:
"The subsequent interview between my father and myself was
of such a striking nature, that I received sufficient reasons to
promise to relearn, what I had forgotten. It was a sore lesson,
but one which I never forgot."

Having been called by God to serve Him in the sanctuary,
John soon experienced a great change in his thoughts and
feelings. His ardent desire was to become a priest. But how
could he ever hope to acquire the education required, for this ,
exalted station in life. Providence, however, had given him :
the vocation for the priesthood, and Providence also would i
provide the means for attaining this end. It is related, that
when Archbishop Purcell was on his way to Piqua, in order to
administer Confirmation, he overtook our John walking in the
same direction. The Archbishop on inquiry fouud, that the
boy was going to Mass, and invited him to mount and ride withi
the priest, accompanying him. The Archbishop soon dis-
covered what was the great desire of the boy's heart, and

Bishop John Henry Luers, Continued. 31

encouraged him saying: "Fear not, my son; if God has
destined you for the sanctuary, and has given you a vocation,
He will in His wisdom provide the means. But you must
pray, that God's will may be done." From that moment the
boy's desire, to devote himself exclusively to the service of
God, became stronger and stronger. General M. D. Morrison
one of his companions, afterwards a member of congress in
Indiana, relates: "Bishop Luers, when quite a boy with us in
Piqua, suddenly stopped playing with the boys, and this being
something unusual we often asked, what has become of John
Luers ? He never comes around with us any more. The
reply given was: Why, he's got hold of some old Latin books,
and he is studying them; he is going to be a Catholic priest.
The next thing I heard of him was, that he had gone off some-
where to school."

St. Francis Xavier's Seminary, in Brown county, Ohio,
conducted by the Lazarists, was the only Alma Mater of Bishop
Luers. It was Archbishop Purcell, who sent him here as a
candidate for the priesthood. Bishop Luers did not possess a
quick or brilliant mind, but rather, what is preferable, a pro-
found mind. The reports sent, by the superiors of the seminary
to the Archbishop, were most satisfactory. He thoroughly
mastered the sciences he applied himself to, and in addition
he fostered solid piety, and developed an ardent zeal and a
generous desire to serve God, for the good of his neighbor.
Archbishop Purcell ordained him subdeacon, in the Cathedral
at Cincinnati, on All Saints' day, 1846; deacon on the feast of
St. Charles Borromeo, and on November 11th, of the same
year, in the twenty-seventh year of his age, he was ordained a
priest of God. He was the last priest ordained in the old
seminary in Brown county, which is now St. Martin's Convent
of the Ursuline Nuns.

Archbishop Purcell, much impressed with the evident zeal
of the young priest, gave him charge of St. Joseph's Congre-
gation, in Cincinnati, which was engaged in the work of the
erection of a church, the walls of which were half up, but was
paralyzed by a heavy debt. His advent infused new life into
the enterprise. It was not long after, when St. Joseph's
Church was completed, and all the debt paid off. Father
Luers was indefatigable and untiring in his labors, to build up

32 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

the parish. He experienced in his own person, what, as Bishop
later on, he often told his priests: "I have somewhere read,
that more men rust out than wear out; a piece of mechanism is
more apt to get out of repair, when not employed, than when
performing its accustomed labor." So convinced was he of
the importance of Catholic schools, that a substantial school
house soon arose under his inspiration and direction, and it was
his custom to visit the schools every day. The Catholic
Telegraph, under date of July 6, 1871, has this to say: "Under
his active, zealous care, this large church is rapidly finished,
and the large debt as rapidly paid. It soon became, under
his pastoral guidance, one of the largest and most important
German congregations in the city. In labor, Bishop Luers,
during the years of his priesthood, was indefatigable. At
St. Joseph's he has left a most eloquent testimony to his great
worth. Though he parted from the scenes of his labors years
ago, his former parishoners treasure, in undimmed remem-
brance, his name and good work, and speak of him, as if he
were still walking reverent among them. Several, whom he
baptized and prepared for their first Communion, are now
worthy priests of the dioceses of Cincinnati and Fort Wayne."
During twelve years of most successful pastoral labor, Father
Luers won the esteem of his Bishop and the love of his people,
and it is not surprising, that when the diocese of Fort Wayne
was established, he should be made its first Bishop.

Nobody was more surprised than Father Luers himself,
when he was informed, that the choice had fallen upon him
for episcopal honors and labors. But with characteristic
humility and simplicity he bowed his head, exclaiming: "Be-
hold, Thy servant, O Lord!" He was consecrated a Bishop
in the same cathedral, in which he had been ordained priest,
on January 10, 1858. Archbishop Purcell was the consecrating
prelate, and the Right Rev. Maurice de St. Palais, Bishop of
Vincennes, and the Right Rev. George Aloysius Carroll, Bishop
of Covington, were the assisting prelates; Very Rev. E. T.
ColHns, V. G., was archdeacon, and the Revs. J. C. Albrinck,
of Pomeroy, and C. H. Borgess, of Columbus, afterwards Bishop
of Detroit, were the deacon and subdeacon of the Pontifical
Mass. The Right Rev. Martin J. Spalding, Bishop of Bards-
town, preached the sermon. In the afternoon of the day of

Bishop John Henry Luers, Continued. 33

his consecration, Bishop Luers wa? invited to visit St. Joseph's
Church, of which he had been the efficient pastor. We quote
again from the CathoHc Telegraph: "The sanctuary was
briUiantly illumined, the church thronged to overflowing. A
frame work erected in the sanctuary bore, in the midst of
light, appropriate texts of Scripture; the choir commenced
the proceedings with a hymn. The Rev. Stehle, aided by the
Rev. Somers, who were afterwards charged with the care of the
congregation, arranged rich offerings appertaining to the
episcopal chapel and office, on a credence table, and an address
was read to the new Bishop. The little boys and girls of the
school, handsomely dressed, the girls in white and wearing
bright crowns, the young unmarried men and ladies, the fathers
and mothers of families, the officers of religious societies, and
all the German Catholics of Cincinnati, through their able
representative Father Otto, had a word and a gift for their
Right Reverend friend, the delivery of which was interspersed
with music from the choir. It was a heart-offering from all
present to the merit and virtues of the faithful pastor now
leaving them. The Archbishop and the Bishops of Vincennes
and Covington, who were in the sanctuary, were deeply affected
by this exhibition of an entire people's gratitude and faith."
Another witness of these impressive scenes has written: "It
was a touching sight to see St. Joseph's congregation on last
Sunday afternoon, when the Bishop of Fort Wayne came to
say farewell. Not a dry eye could be seen in the crowded
edifice, and sobs were frequently heard breaking the solemn
stillness of the church. After the exercises were over in the
church, the newly consecrated prelate visited the schools, and
here, to see and hear the tokens of sorrow every where visible,
became perfectly painful ; and it was only after repeated assur-
ances, that he would often visit them, could their grief be
restrained. Kneeling to receive his blessing, with a thousand
wishes for his welfare, the impressive scene closed."

Anxious to enter upon the work, assigned to him by the
Holy See in the new diocese of Fort Wayne, he set out for the
town of Fort Wayne in a day or two after his consecration.
"He arrived towards evening, alone and unannounced, carrying
his traveling bag in his hand, at the door of the residence of
Very Rev. Father Benoit." What John A. Wilstach, Esquire,

34 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

wrote in his sketch of St. Mary's Church, of Lafayette, in the
year 1893, will certainly prove of interest to our readers: 'it
would seem that one of the first cares of Bishop Luers, in his
new diocese, was to select his episcopal city. This had received
a designation in his commission from the Vatican, because
Archbishop Purcell, in the multifariousness of his duties, had
suggested Fort Wayne, but an application to Rome by Bishop
Luers would have immediately produced the change in the
designation. Now it so happened, that from his first visit to
the Star City of the West, Bishop Luers had desired to write
after his name. Bishop of Lafayette. Here he found our
beautiful situation, our shining river with its amphitheatre of
crowning heights on either side. Here he found a body of
educated Catholics willing to make, under his leadership, any
sacrifice in his behalf, and here also, he found handsome and
beautiful church and school improvements greatly superior to
those existing in Fort Wayne. He selected, with an eye
which taste and prophecy both guided, the plat of land now
occupied by the Lafayette Public Library, and the buildings
to the south of it and the Opera House to the east, as the seat
of the Cathedral, an episcopal residence, school, convent and
hospital. This unsurpassable tract of land, almost in the
center of the city, was to be obtained, partly by purchase and
partly by gift. The gift was to be from the city, and the project
was voted down in the city council by one vote, and that the
vote of the member from the first ward. History and tradition
have consigned, or should consign, his name to oblivion, and
there let it rest."

Bishop Luers found his Cathedral, at Fort Wayne, to be a
small frame church in a delapidated condition, and the episcopal
residence was a brick structure, erected by Rev. A. Bessonies,
who had charge of the parish during the absence of Father
Benoit in Louisiana. He also found, that his diocese comprised
forty-two counties extending north from the northern boun-
daries of Fountain, Montgomery, Boone, Hamilton, Madison,
Delaware, Randolph and Warren counties, a distance of 120
miles, and from the Ohio State Line to the Illinois State Line,
a distance of 170 miles. Having appointed Father Benoit his
Vicar General, he set out to visit his diocese, and it can be said
truthfully, that he was hardly ever to be found at home, in

1483492

Bishop John Henry Luers, Continued. 35

Fort Wayne. He manifested great affection for his priests,
encouraging them in their arduous labors, and sharing these
labors with them whenever and wherever he could. He
travelled the length and breadth of his diocese, over and over
again, anxious to be where he might be of service. In all his
travels, however, which were both night and day, he always
managed to have the opportunity for celebrating Mass. He
used to say: "God derives more glory from the celebration of
one Mass, than from all the praises of the angels in heaven.
Ought not priests to give God that glory no matter at what
personal inconvenience ?" It is related of him, that, when
knocking at a priest's house for admission at a rather early
hour, the window was thrown up, and a voice was heard to

say: "Be off to out of that! Don't you know, that his

reverence is sick, and can't go on sick calls? A pretty time of
the day you are calling." The window closed amid a shower
of abuse on the unknown Bishop. He quietly walked, valise
in hand, to the convent, where he met with a cordial reception.

He said: "There was a man down at Father 's house who

ordered me to rather warm quarters, but I thought it better
to come and say Mass." Another quotation from Mr. Wil-
stach's production will give us an insight into the Bishop's
character and work: "He spared himself no labors official or
menial, religious or domestic, of the house or of the field, of
the city or of the country. Well is it remembered by those,
who were present on one autumn Sunday in St. Mary's church,
at Lafayette, how his face and his hands were so bronzed by
the labor of the field's harvest work at the orphan farm near
Rensselaer, that he hardly passed for white. His hands hung
down black over the front of the pulpit (a favorite attitude
with him), and his face rose above the purple cape as black as
his hands." From all of which we conclude, that Bishop
Luers was, in very truth, a pioneer bishop preparing the way
for the elegance and comforts of the bishops of later generations.
During his administration biennial retreats of the clergy
were held at the University of Notre Dame, an accommodation
which has ever since been a great advantage to the diocesan
clergy. At the conclusion of these spiritual exercises, synods
were held to regulate the affairs of the diocese, both as to
temporalities and spiritualities. Among other things, the

36 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Bishop checked effectually the pernicious system of over-
zealous lay trusteeism.

Bishop Luers was distinguished for his devotion to the
Holy See. He had a great desire to visit the Eternal City,
and to manifest his loyalty to the Vicar of Christ on earth, in
the person of Pius IX. Accordingly he started upon his pil-
grimage to Rome, on May 29, 1864, accompanied by the Rev.
A. B. Oechtering, leaving the administration of the diocese in
the hands of his Vicar General, Father Benoit. On his way he
visited Louvain, where he secured four young levites for his
diocese. At Rome he was received with great kindness by
the Holy Father, and was entrusted with the drawing up of
the constitution and rules for the Sisters of the Holy Cross,
in America, with a view to having them approved ultimately
by the Holy See. Upon his return, he continued his arduous
labors for the advancement of every great interest of his diocese.
It was he, who adopted a plan for the support of aged and
infirm priests, under the title of the Catholic Clerical Benevolent
Association of the Diocese of Fort Wayne.

On many an occasion did the earnest Bishop become the
public champion and defender of the faith. In their contro-
versies with him, tricky controversialists met with a great
surprise and an overwhelming and silencing defeat. Having
been attacked in the public press because of his attitude in
the defence of Catholic Education, he replied in a card, from
which we make this extract : " It is with me a matter of sincere
regret, that our non-Catholic friends will not understand the
Catholic position upon the so-called public school question.
We do not object to Protestants sending their children to the
public schools, nor to their supporting them by a tax, or in
any other way they may deem fit. We have not the slightest
intention of interfering with their existence. They may, per-
haps, think they are well adapted to the wants of those who
patronize them, but Catholic parents, who realize the sacred
obligations of preparing their children, not only for this life
but for the life to come, prefer to see their children in schools
where religious instruction and moral discipline go hand in
hand with secular education. Many Catholics regard it a
hardship, that they should be taxed to support a school system
that they do not and cannot approve; but in Indiana it is the

Bishop John Henry Luers, Concluded. 37

creature of the State Constitution, and until that instrument
is changed or amended in this particular, Catholics, as law
abiding citizens, must continue to bear their share of the
burden, as well as assume their share of the responsibility."

Bishop Luers attended the Second Plenary Council of
Baltimore, which assembled on the first Sunday of October,
1866; but he was not present at the Oecumenical Council of the
Vatican, convened by Pius IX, having been excused, partly
on account of the needs of his own diocese and partly that he
might serve neighboring dioceses, in the absence of their bishops.
During this time he travelled much, and there is little doubt
but that he administered confirmation in every county of three
States, and also conferred holy orders in the seminaries. It
was not, however, without regret, that he was obliged to absent
himself from the \'atican Council, being most anxious to give
his homage to the Vicar of Christ, and to record his approval
of the Definition of the Dogma of Papal Infallibility.

The end of his life is another evidence of the uncertainty
of the hour and place and circumstances, when death may call
upon us. On June 29, 1871, he gave Minor Orders to three
seminarians and conferred Deaconship on another, in Cleveland.
After breakfast, preferring to walk rather than to ride, on his
way to the railway station he intended to make a call at the
episcopal residence, when, on the corner of Bond and St. Clair
streets he fell, having suffered a stroke of apoplexy. Having
been carried to the Bishop's house, he received absolution,
Extreme Unction and the last Indulgence, and within fifteen
or twenty minutes he expired. Clergymen and laymen from
both dioceses, escorted the remains from Cleveland to Fort
Wayne; even a delegation from the deceased Bishop's old
parish, St. Joseph's, at Cincinnati, was present to pay its tribute
of love and gratitude. The funeral took place in the Cathedral
at Fort Wayne, on July 4th, and was attended by Archbishop
Purcell and the Bishops de St. Palais, O'Hara, Toebbe, .Mc-
Closkey and Borgess. Archbishop Purcell preached the
sermon, from which we quote a single sentence: "Bishop
Luers presided over the diocese of Fort Wayne with marked
zeal and abiHty." The remains of the first Bishop of Fort
Wayne rest in the Crvpt beneath the sanctuary of the Cathedral.

CHAPTER IV.

THE RIGHT REV. JOSEPH DWENGER, C. PP. S., D. D.
THE SECOND BISHOP OF FORT WAYNE.

H. Dwenger and his wife, the parents of Bishop Dwenger,
emigrated from Aukum, Hanover, in the diocese of Osna-
brueck, to the United States in the spring of 1837. They
bought fotty acres of land in Mercer county, Ohio, near the
present town of St. John. Having cleared a spot of the huge
oak trees, they built a log hut, which became their home. In
this humble abode, Joseph, the future Bishop of Fort Wayne,
saw the light of day, on September 7, 1837. When in after
years the Bishop referred to his birth place, he would say: "I
was born between four big oak stumps, in a dense forest of
Mercer county, Ohio." There were indeed four and more oak
stumps around the log cabin of his birth. On the morning
after Joseph's birth, the father hailed a neighbor passing his
dwelling, saying to him: "Last night God sent us a little
bishop!" The memory of this strange remark after seventy
years, still lives with older members of St. John's parish, in
Mercer county. What could have induced the father to speak
thus to his neighbor? Was it a prophecy!

Joseph was about three years old, when Providence visited
the happy family with a severe affliction. The father, whose
strong arm protected and supported the mother, Joseph and
his two older brothers, was removed from their midst at the
call of death. The sorrow-stricken widow was left in destitute
and helpless condition. In the hope of finding support for
herself and children she went to Cincinnati, and became a
member of Holy Trinity parish. When of age Joseph attended
the parochial school of Holy Trinity, where, owing to his talents
and industry, he made rapid progress in the elementary branches
of education.

In the early summer of 1849, we find the widow and her
son Joseph again occupying the log cabin in Mercer county.
Why she should leave a comfortable home and her two older
sons in Cincinnati and with Joseph alone return to the woods

Bishop Joseph Dwenger, Continued. 39

in Mercer county, is an incident in Joseph's life full of signifi-
cance, inspired by heaven; as the sequel shows. The cholera
of 1849 spared the mother and her son; but in October of the
same year both were prostrated on a bed of sickness, and, in
the case of the widow, of death also. Rev. Andrew Kunkler,
C. PP. S., the pastor of St. John's was called, and he found her
at death's door. He administered to her all the helps of
religion, and every comfort human consolation can give. But,
the poor mother was much troubled. She pointed to the little
cot, on which lay her son Joseph sick and unconscious, saying:
"I am willing to die, but what will become of my dear Joseph,
wheni am no more?" Father Kunkler, ever ready to console
and assist the afflicted and needy, promised he would take
upon himself the care of the boy. Such are the ways of Provi-
dence. Contented and with a smile on her countenance, the
widow Dwenger departed this life, on October 25, 1849. Joseph,
now an orphan, was not homeless, for Father Kunkler carried
him on his arms into the priest's house and cared for him. The
boy soon recovered and waxed healthy and strong.

Joseph knew well the desire of his mother, often expressed,
to have him become a priest, and could easily perceive that his
protector Father Kunkler, would have him become one of the
Fathers of the Precious Blood. He considered seriously and
prayed earnestly. At last, in 1 854, after five years of probation,
he became a member of the Congregation of the Most Precious
Blood. Shortly after the Provincial, Very Rev. Francis Sales
Brunner, sent him to Mount St. Mary's Seminary at Cincinnati,
for the study of philosophy and theology; of which Revs.
Rosecranz, Quinlan and Barry were the professors. At the
seminary Joseph was known as the "Western Ohio student."
He made rapid progress in his studies, and being punctual in
all matters of discipline, endeared himself to his professors and
his superiors, as well as Archbishop Purcell. He received
tonsure and minor orders on December 19, 1857. On August
20, 1859, he was ordained subdeacon and on the day following
deacon. Priesthood was conferred on him by Archbishop
Purcell, on September 4, 1859. Father Dwenger celebrated
his first Mass on September 8, 1859, in St. John's Church, not
far from the place where he was born.

The Seminary of the Congregation of the Most Precious

40 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Blood, which had been transferred from the diocese of Cleveland
to that of Cincinnati, in 1859, was located at Himmelgarten
Convent, near St. Henry, Mercer county, Ohio. Father
Dwenger was appointed its rector and also filled the office of a
professor. This location however of the seminary was neither
convenient nor satisfactory. Father Dwenger was empowered
by the Society PP. S. to purchase at Carthagena the so-called
"Emlen Institution," which for a time had been a manual
labor school for colored children, but had been abandoned and
was then the property of a John Smith.- With the assistance
of Christopher Schunk, Father Dwenger effected the purchase
in March, 1861. Mr. Smith was under the impression that he
was seUing the property to a Protestant minister. In May,
1861, the building just purchased was remodeled and repaired
and the seminary installed here, with Father Dwenger as its
rector and professor. Father Dwenger was physically an
imposing figure full of vitality and health. He devoted himself
to the discharge of his duties with his whole soul, and great
and not unfounded were the hopes entertained with regard to
him. He was of an impulsive nature and at times would appear
too harsh but "after a little harmless explosion of his patience,
the next moment all was serene again; he would never harbor
any grudge in his heart." In the seminary he was a strict
disciplinarian and he would not tolerate a lazy and careless
student; whilst the diligent student always found in him a
kind father and teacher. He filled the position of rector and
professor at the seminary during three years.

In 1864, he was appointed pastor at Wapakoneta and of
St. Mary's, Auglaize county, Ohio, having charge at the same
time of the parish at Glynnwood. He began the erection of a
new church in St. Mary's, in 1866. The parish was small in
number and poor; but owing to his intense activity he collected
funds near and far, so much so that when the new church was
dedicated on November 19, 1867, $12,000 had been collected
and the structure was free from every indebtedness. Having
been most successful as the rector and a professor of the sem-
inary and also as a pastor and a church builder. Father Dwenger
was now assigned to the work of giving missions. He was
engaged in this work from 1868 to 1872, giving missions in
Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and in other States. Sometimes he

Bishop Joseph Dwenger, Continued. 41

was accompanied by one priest or' other of the Community,
but generally he did the work unassisted. He was successful
in his work owing to his great earnestness and popular style
of preaching.

Father Dwenger was befriended by Archbishop Purcell,
who chose him as his theologian and secretary at the Council
of Baltimore, in 1866. The Archbishop frequently had him
as a companion on confirmation trips through Mercer and
Auglaize counties. On one occasion, while at dinner, one of
the Fathers present asked His Grace, whether he could not
delegate Rev. Joseph Dwenger to drive out and administer
confirmation. The Archbishop answered: "Of course I might,
but I am afraid he would impart too severe a blow." Father
Dwenger attended the Second Council of Baltimore repre-
senting Very Rev. Andrew Kunkler, the Provincial of the
C. PP. S. It can be said truthfully that he was a ruling spirit
in all the transactions of the Congregation, to which he belonged.
The Provincial had the utmost confidence in his prudence and
business tact ; so much so that he had Father Dwenger to preside
over nearly all the meetings. On the other hand. Father
Dwenger was most devoted and attached to his benefactor
and was ever ready to do all in his power for the benefit of the
Community. It may be mentioned here that when Father
Joseph was deliberating whether to accept or decline the mitre
he wrote Father Kunkler a most affectionate letter asking him
for direction. He concluded the letter with these words: "I
shall always remain your Joseph."

The See of Fort Wayne having been made vacant by the
death of Bishop Luers, Pope Pius IX appointed Father Dwenger
Bishop of Fort Wayne. He was consecrated in the Cathedral
of Cincinnati by Archbishop Purcell, assisted by Bishops Toebbe
and Borgess, on April 14, 1872. Without any delay the new
Bishop repaired to the future scene of his labors, and began
by investigating the condition of his diocese. He found the
diocese somewhat involved financially, but as we have seen he
was not a novice in finances, and in the course of time wiped
out the existing indebtedness. On April 28, 1874, Bishop
Dwenger addressed a circular to his clergy, from which we
quote the first sentence: "Conscious of the awful responsi
bilities of my Holy Office, and my own weakness and imper-

L

42 The Diocese of Fort IVayne.

fections, I leave Fort Wayne the 10th of May next, to make a
pilgrimage to Lourdes, and to the shrines of the Apostles,
hoping thereby to obtain some special graces from God for
the salvation of my poor soul; to obtain for myself and my
diocese the blessing of our venerable and saintly Pontiff, Pius
IX, and to obtain other benefits for my diocese." This was
the first American pilgrimage to Rome and Lourdes. Should
any of our readers enjoy the happy privilege of visiting the
Grotto of Lourdes, let them, on entering the magnificent basilica
look to the left, and among the many votive offerings with
which the wall is covered, they will perceive a beautiful
American flag with its red, white and blue and with its stars
and stripes, left there by Bishop Dwenger, leader of the pious
band of pilgrims, venerating Mary Immaculate at her holy
shrine.

What will, among other acts of his, keep the memory of
Bishop Dwenger in benediction, is his care of the orphans.
The asylum near Rensselaer, for both the boys and the girls,
had become inadequate, and the location undesirable. In
1875, Bishop Dwenger purchased fifty acres of land near
Lafayette, on which he erected a four story brick building at a
cost of about |30,000. This new institution known as the
St. Joseph's Asylum and Manual Labor School, is devoted to
the care of the orphan boys.

His pastoral and missionary work had convinced Bishop
Dwenger of the importance and necessity of a parochial school
in every parish. Hence he insisted not only that pastors must
provide these schools, but he also established a Diocesan School
Board, in 1879, consisting of ten priests, to whom he entrusted
the supervision of the parochial schools of the diocese. The
members of this Board were obliged to visit and examine all
the parochial schools in their respective district, at least once
a year, and to report to the Bishop concerning the condition
of these schools. The same system has been adopted in many
dioceses of the country.

In 1883, Bishop Dwenger on his way to Rome to make his
official visit ad limina, again visited Lourdes. At Rome he
received deserved recognition, for his labors in the distant
American diocese. Surrounded by his clergy and laity and
with heartfelt wishes for an administration "ad multos annos,"

Bishop Joseph Dwenger, Continued. 43

Bishop Dwenger celebrated his S.acerdotal Silver Jubilee in 1884.
In November and December of the same year the Bishop
attended the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, where,
among the thirteen Archbishops and seventy Bishops he was
the nineteenth in rank^and seniority. In March, 1885, he again
visited Rome, this time in the interests of the Council and as
the representative of the American Hierarchy. While in Rome
he was the guest of the American College, where he spent seven
months. During this time the decrees of the Council of Balti-
more were presented by him to the Propaganda, and were
approved. He was in Rome on the 4th of July, which the
American students were anxious to celebrate. However it
was thought inadvisable to display the American flag in such
close proximity to the Quirinal. At this juncture Bishop
Dwenger stept forward, and commanded in a way that could
not be misunderstood: "Boys, hoist the American flag!"
Instantly the Stars and Stripes were floated on high, and the
American students sang: "Hail Columbia." When the Italian
government intended to confiscate the American College in
Rome, Bishop Dwenger hastened to Washington protesting in
his own name and in the name of the American Hierarchy
that the College was American property. At the instance of
Secretary Blaine the Italian government gave assurance that
the College would not be confiscated.

In 1886 the Bishop gave another evidence of his love for
the orphans by erecting, on the twenty-five acre lot within the
limits of the city of Fort Wayne, a magnificent structure to
serve as an asylum for the orphan girls. The Bishop made his
fourth and last visit to Rome in 1888, more for the sake of his
health, than to transact any important business. Anxious to
do still more for Catholic education the Bishop induced the
Fathers C. PP. S. to establish what is now known as St. Joseph's
College near Rensselaer. The College was opened in September,
1891, but Bishop Dwenger, whose health was declining, was
unable to assist at its dedication. The Community of the
Precious Blood has redeemed the land where the College now
stands, and which was a great swamp, by spending on its
improvement and on the construction of the buildings a sum
of over |100,000.

While enjoying good health Bishop Dwenger was truly a

44 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

good shepherd of his diocese. He frequently visited all the
parishes for confirmation and other episcopal functions. When
however his health failed him more and more and became
enfeebled by constant exertion he succumbed to a severe attack
of heart trouble. His last effort to improve his health was a
visit to New Mexico, which visit had little or no effect. Re-
turning he resigned himself to what was evidently God's will
and prepared for the end, which came after a lingering illness of
nearly three years, on January 23, 1893. The funeral obsequies
took place on January 26th. The Pontifical Requiem Mass
was celebrated by Archbishop Elder. The prelates present in
the sanctuary were: Archbishop Katzer of Milwaukee, Bishop
Foley of Detroit, Bishop Horstmann of Cleveland, Bishop
Janssen of Belleville, Bishop Maes of Covington, Bishop Rade-
macher of Nashville, Bishop Richter of Grand Rapids and
Bishop Vertin of Marquette. Besides these dignitaries over
two hundred priests attended. Members of the C. PP. S., to
which the deceased Bishop belonged, present were: The Very
Rev. H. Drees, Provincial; Rev. F. Nigsch, Procurator; Revs.
Dickmann and Seifert, Consultors, and sixteen other Fathers.
Bishop Rademacher delivered the funeral oration, selecting
for his text I Macabees, Ch. V, 19-21: "How is the mighty
man fallen that saved Israel." The preacher dwelling on the
character of the deceased Bishop said: "Bishop Dwenger as
all who have had the pleasure of knowing him will admit, was
cast by nature in what we may call a grand heroic mould.
Physically he was at least in the prime of his vigorous life — a
perfect specimen of manhood. His powers of endurance and
his capacity for hard work were simply marvelous. Even when
by the labors of his long ministry, his powers began to wane,
the long sickness which he endured also attested the wonderful
strength and vitality of his constitution. In that vigorous body
there dwelt a soul, equally vigorous and highly gifted; and we
may truly say that his strong constitution, and especially his
strong and expressive countenance, were a faithful index to
the strong soul that dwelt within and ruled that body. His
mind was clear and logical, and he was eminently practical.
His memory was prodigious — both faithful and retentive. His
will was strong and unbending, when he believed himself in
the right, and especially when he defended what he considered

Bishop Joseph Dwenger, Concluded. 45

right and just. As for his heart, -it was true as steel, and
noble, world-wide and generous in its sympathies, as Holy
Church itself. As for his love of the country it is strange that
it should ever have been called in question. As he said him-
self, he was born under an oak tree, that is to say, in poverty;
but the roots of that oak tree were not struck deeper and more
firmly into the soil than the love of his country had struck its
roots in the heart of the great Bishop. As for his love of the
Church, it amounted simply to loyalty and chivalry. He was
indeed in every sense a most devoted son of the Church, and
he was a most true and model son of his country."

All that is mortal of Bishop Dwenger rests in the Crypt
of the Cathedral, between Bishop Luers and Bishop Rade-
macher.

CHAPTER V.

THE RIGHT REV. JOSEPH RADEMACHER, D. D.
THE THIRD BISHOP OF FORT WAYNE.

The Right Rev. Joseph Rademacher, the third Bishop of
Fort Wayne, was born in Westphaha, Qinton county, Michigan,
on December 3, 1840. His parents sent him to the Benedictine
College, near Latrobe, Pennsylvania, in 1855. Here he made
his classical and philosophical studies and also began the study
of theology, which latter however he completed in St. Michael's
Seminary, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Bishop Luers accepted
him for the diocese of Fort Wayne, and ordained him a priest
on August 2, 1863.

His first field of labor was Attica and its vicinity, of which
place he was made the first resident pastor. He also attended
Covington and the entire country East and West, from Odell
to the Illinois State Line. He found the church and house
devoid of every convenience. The pews in the church were
rough boards and store boxes; but he provided an altar, new
pews and a little reed organ. The year 1865 became a memor-
able year, for in it, for the first time, a first communion class
was admitted in the month of May, and at the same time
Bishop Luers administered confirmation. It is well known,
that the congregation was small and poor, and that Father
Rademacher had to submit to many privations and hardships,
but he never uttered a word of complaint. In 1870, he was
transferred to Columbia City. When, in 1872, the pastorate
of St. Mary's church, at Fort Wayne, became vacant, he was
appointed to succeed Rev. J. Weutz. He had for his assistant
the Rev. Charles Steurer. Having done faithful service here
for seven years, he was transferred to St. Mary's Church at
Lafayette, in 1880, of which he remained the pastor till June
24, 1883. He was noted lor zeal and prudence, and endearing
himself to all, by his gentle and fatherly disposition, he was
familiarly known as Father Joseph. "Besides being remark-
able for his intellectual, social and religious qualities, Father
Rademacher was remarkable also for his devotion to literature,

Bishop Joseph Rademacher, Continued. 47

not only theological but general. He joined to his knowledge
of men and of aflFairs a close knowledge of books, and a memory
which retained every thing which his mind acquired. A proof
of this was furnished the writer one day in a singular manner.
The writer had closely examined, only a few hours before, the
early history of France. Entering into discourse with Father
Rademacher, the conversation turned on this early history,
and especially the significance of the battle of Soissonnes, as
one of the decisive battles of Europe. As to this significance,
the writer was giving his ideas. That was in the year 486,
interposed the pastor. Continued the interlocutor, yes, the
king of the Franks had no ordinary antagonist. Syagrius, the
Roman governor, again interposed the pastor. His interlocutor
paused for a moment in wonder, and then put the question:
Tell me, pray. Father Rademacher, how did you happen to
know so exactly this date and this name? Ah! he responded,
I have read the history of those times."

The See of Nashville, Tennessee, having become vacant
upon the translation of Bishop Feehan to Chicago, in April,
1883, Father Rademacher was appointed his successor, and
was consecrated Bishop of Nashville on June 24th of that same
year. His Vicar General and intimate friend, Rev. P. J.
Gleeson, in reply to an inquiry, writes: "It gives me pleasure
to do anything to honor the memory of Bishop Rademacher.
When he took charge the diocese of Nashville wa^ still suffering
from the effects of the yellow-fever in Memphis, where so many
priests and religious had fallen victims to that dreaded scourge.
His humble, hard-working zeal in meeting the peculiar con-
ditions that confronted him, his readiness to do missionary
work, and help even the humblest in preaching, hearing con-
fessions, attending sick-calls, even taking the place of his
priests who might be absent on a much needed rest, soon won
for the Bishop the affection and the esteem of priests and
people. This bond of affection between Bishop Rademacher
and the priests and people of his diocese grew and deepened
with the years, as his amiable, modest character became known:
so that one and all instinctively called him GOOD Bishop
Rademacher. The peculiar circumstances following the yellow
fever, coupled with the financial conditions then prevailing
throughout the country, did not allow his zeal to find expression

48 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

in the erection of church buildings. But his holy life, good
example, his kindness to priests laboring in small and scattered
missions, his patience and forbearance with all who came in
contact with him, have built up a spiritual edifice in which
the name of GOOD Bishop Rademacher is enshrined, and
which will last as long as the generation that knew him lives.
All honor to his memory."

On January 22, 1893, Bishop Dwenger was called to his
reward. To the great joy of the clergy and laity of the diocese.
Pope Leo XIII, by letters dated July 14, 1893, transferred
Bishop Rademacher from Nashville to Fort Wayne. Having
endeared himself to all, during his former residence among
them, the entire population turned out to give him welcome,
when on October 3, 1893, his solemn installation in the Cathedral
at Fort Wayne took place. Father Brammer, Administrator
of the diocese, addressing the Bishop at the entrance to the
Cathedral said, among other things: "Ever since the death
of Bishop Dwenger, it has been the earnest wish of every
Catholic in this diocese, that you would be made its Bishop.
For this reason, and because we love and respect you, our
welcome is all the heartier." A most impressive reception
took place on the evening of October 4th, but on the day
following, the solemn installation and Pontifical Mass was
celebrated at 9:30, with Bishop Rademacher as Celebrant,
Very Rev. Joseph Brammer assistant priest, Revs. E. P. Walter
and E. Koenig deacons of honor. Rev. John R. Quinlan deacon
and Rev. C. B. Guendhng subdeacon of the Mass, Rev. W. J.
Quinlan, master of ceremonies, and Very Rev. William Corby,

C. S. C, Rev. A. B. Oechtering, chaplains to Archbishop Elder.
The Bulls of Pope Leo XI II were read by Rev. J. H. Hueser,

D. D., after which the Archbishop escorted the Bishop to the
throne. After this, each priest of the diocese in turn knelt
before the Bishop, in token of submission kissing the Bishop's
ring. The sermon on this occasion was preached by Bishop
Foley of Detroit, whose text was: "You have not chosen
me, but I you. Go forth, therefore, into the world, teaching
all men in my name, for lo, I am with you even unto the con-
summation of the world." The prelates honoring the occasion
with their presence were: Archbishop Katzer of Milwaukee,
Archbishop Elder of Cincinnati, Bishop Maes of Covington,

Bishop Joseph Rademacher, Continued. 49

Bishop Watterson of Columbus,* Bishop Foley of Detroit,
Bishop Horstmann of Cleveland, Bishop McCloskey of Louis-
ville, Bishop Richter of Grand Rapids, Bishop Janssen of
Belleville, Mgr. Thorpe V. G. of Cleveland, Mgr. Joos V. G. of
Detroit and Mgr. Windthorst of Chillicothe, Ohio, the Vicars
General Scheidler of Indianapolis and Albrinck of Cincinnati,
Rev. G. F. Houck Chancellor of Cleveland, the Provincials
Englert, O. F. M., Corby, C. S. C, Drees, C. PP. S. and Very
Rev. Patrick Gleeson, Administrator of the diocese of Nashville.
After the ceremonies, the clergy attended a banquet served in
Library Hall.

For five years, unitl the close of 1898, the diocese of Fort
Wayne continued to flourish, under the gentle yet efficient
administration of Bishop Rademacher. Most conscientious in
the discharge of duty, and realizing fully the great responsibility
resting upon him, he did not lose sight of a single important
interest of the diocese. The happiness of his priests, and the
welfare of the parishes, were uppermost in his mind and heart.
It is noteworthy, that often times he had to undergo a severe
struggle, when his gentle disposition on the one hand and
imperative duty on the other, coming in conflict, demanded
a decision. It was then, that Bishop Rademacher experienced
more suffering and greater concern, than those immediately
concerned.

Churches multiplied, church properties improved, schools
increased in number, and the work of education progressed
most satisfactorily. He never failed to be present where his
presence was required, and everywhere, all over the diocese,
his influence for good was felt. It is to be regretted, that a
beneficent administration like his was cut short, when human
expectations were highest. 1 1 is needless, and altogether painful
to record the circumstances under which the poor Bishop spent
the last year of his life. The daily press at the time had this
to say substantially on January 18, 1900: The Bishop's illness
dates back something over a year. On returning from a visit
at South Bend, the Bishop appeared worn and ill, and in a
short time it became apparent, that he was bordering on a
state of mental collapse. The physical break down followed,
and within a few months, the once robust frame of the Bishop
was but a sad reminder of the past. The patient was removed

50 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

to St. Joseph's Hospital, at Fort Wayne, where he remained
for several months; after which he was taken to Chicago, and
placed under the care of a specialist, for four months, at St.
Elizabeth's hospital. When it was found that he was incurable,
he was removed to Fort Wayne. It was on January 12th, at
11:25 A. M., when Bishop Rademacher yielded up his spirit to
his Creator. The news of his death was received with universal
sadness, for the good Bishop had been well beloved by his
people and esteemed and respected by all. The solemn funeral
services took place on January 16th, and were participated in,
by not only the clergy of the diocese, but also by the clergy
from other parts, swelling the number of priests in attendance
to fully three hundred. The church dignitaries, who by their
presence gave testimony of their esteem for the deceased
Bishop were: Archbishop Elder of Cincinnati, Archbishop
Katzer of Milwaukee, Bishop Byrne of Nashville, Bishop
Chatard of Indianapolis, Bishop Foley of Detroit, Bishop
Horstmann of Cleveland, Bishop Janssen of Belleville, Bishop
Maes of Covington, Bishop Richter of Grand Rapids, Bishop
Scannell of Omaha, Archabbot Leander Schnerr, O. S. B.,
Abbot Edmund Obrecht, O. C. R., Abbot Athanasius Schmidt,
O. S. B., Very Rev. M. J. Marseile, C. S. V., Very Rev. John B.
Murray, President Mt. St. Mary's Seminary, Very Rev. Joseph
Rainer, President St. Francis' Seminary, Very Rev. F. J. Baum-
gartner, V. G., Very Rev. D. O'Donaghue, V. G. After the
recitation of the Office for the dead, by the assembled clergy
at nine o'clock, the Pontifical Mass of Requiem was celebrated
vv'ith Archbishop Elder as celebrant, Very Rev, John H. Guend-
ling as Assistant Priest, Rev. John Bleckmann Deacon, Rev.
John H, Bathe Subdeacon of the Mass, Rev. A. J. Morrissey
and Rev. J. F. Delaney Deacons of Honor, Rev, W. J. Quinlan,
Rev. C. B. Guendling and Rev. John Durham Masters of
Ceremonies, Rev. P. J. O'Reilley and Rev. F. X. Labonte
Acolytes, Rev. John F. Noll Book-bearer, Rev. P. J. Crawley
Candle-bearer, Rev. A. E. Lafontaine Mitre-bearer, Rev. T.
Mungovan Censer-bearer and Rev. J. C. Keller the Gremiale.
The sermon was preached by Bishop Horstmann of Cleveland,
an intimate friend of the deceased. His text was: "My soul
doth magnify the Lord and my spirit doth rejoice in God, my
Saviour. He that is mighty hath done great things in me and

Bishop Joseph Rademacher, Continued. 51

holy is His name. And His mercy is from generation to gener-
ation to them that fear Him. He hath received Israel His
servant, being mindful of His mercy." — Luke I. The sermon
was a thoughtful tribute to the memory of the dead Bishop,
and an earnest request for the prayers of the faithful, especially
of those who had been benefited by the life and labor of the
third Bishop of the diocese of Fort Wayne.

After the solemn absolution the remains were enclosed in
a vault beneath the sanctuary of the Cathedral.

The following touching tribute is quoted as characteristic:
"Bishop Rademacher, when a priest, was sent to the little
parish at Attica after his ordination, and also served the small
missions Covington and Marshfield near by. The Covington
church was the result of his personal work among the people,
and in no less degree of his own sacrifices, for the Catholics
thereabouts had little to give. The congregation was very
small, and, much as they loved him for his humility and self
sacrifice, they could not requite him properly in a money way.
Whenever he announced that his salary was due, he would add,
in almost the same breath, that if they needed this money for
the necessaries of life not to worry about him he would try to
get along as best he could. When he met with the poor he
gave his last penny. One day a man came to him and said he
was a painter, and if he only had a few dollars he could buy
paint and brushes and thus get a job and escape starvation.
Father Joseph had only two dollars which he handed the man,
and, seeing that he was in need of a coat, gave him one of the
two in his possession. Next day he found out that the man was
a vagrant by choice and had imposed upon him. But Father
Joseph was so honest and pure minded, said the witness of this
scene, that he could not think otherwise of any man.

"At the time Father Joseph was in Attica, the section
boss of the Wabash railroad invited the priest to a Christmas
dinner, and both the host and hostess observed, that their
guest kept trying to hide his shoes, or they thought he did so.
Watching him more closely the hostess noticed, that he had
hardly any shoes at all on his feet. She said to her husband:
They are only pieces and scraps of shoes tied and sewed to-
gether. Before the Father's departure his host gave him ten
dollars, on condition that he should spend it on himself for

52 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

necessary clothing. They learned later, that he had given
nearly all of his little store of clothing to a poor family, in
which there were many children, and he thought their need
was greater than his. Orphans, by the way, were his particular
weakness, and long after his elevation to the Bishop's throne,
he went among them with the simpHcity of a parish priest.

"He was a man of exquisite courtesy, so studiously careful
of the feelings of others, that he made it the matter of conscience
as important as his religious duties. No matter how much
work he had to do, or how worried he was, he never was ill-
humored. His people always rejoiced when they met him, or
he came to their homes, for he was ever cheerful and had a
wonderful smile for everyone. And he never wanted anyone
to bother or worry about him.

"What an epitaph for this prince of the church, whose
tremendous activities were graced by so much simple
gentleness."

CHAPTER VI.

THE RIGHT REV. HERMAN JOSEPH ALERDING, D. D.
THE FOURTH BISHOP OF FORT WAYNE.

The present Bishop of Fort Wayne was born in WestphaUa,
on April 13, 1845. During his infancy, the family emigrated
to America, and made their home in Newport, Kentucky. He
attended the parochial schools of Corpus Christi Church. All
the children of the parish, boys and girls, numbering about one
hundred and fifty, were taught in one room, by one teacher.
Scenes such as transpired there are wholly foreign to the present
time. The education was in every respect strenuous. From
his earliest boyhood days, he felt an inclination and a desire
to become a priest. Encouraged by the Rev. John Voll, pastor
of Corpus Christi Church, he received his first lessons in Latin
from this zealous priest. He was sent to the diocesan seminary
in Vincennes, Indiana, from 1858 till 1859. Bishop Carroll
was unable to accept him, as a student for the diocese of Cov-
ington, and application having been made to Bishop de St.
Palais, of Vincennes, he was adopted by that prelate for the
diocese of Vincennes. The second year of his studies was spent
in the old St. Thomas' Seminary, near Bardstown, Kentucky.
In the fall of 1860, he was sent to St. Meinrad's College and
Seminary in Spencer county, Indiana, which institution was
conducted by Benedictine Fathers, who had come to this
country from Einsiedlen, Switzerland. Here he finished his
studies, and received the Holy Orders from Bishop de St.
Palais; Tonsure and Minor Orders on September 18, 1865,
Subdeaconship on June 18, 1867, Deaconship on June 21st of
the same year, and Priesthood on September 22, 1868.

His first appointment was that of assistant to the Rev.
John B. Chasse at St. Joseph's Church, in Terre Haute, where
he remained until October 18, 1871. While here, he had
charge also of the missions Rockville and Montezuma, and the
station Rosedale in Parke county, and of the mission Sullivan
and the station Farmersburg, in Sullivan county. On October
18, 1871, he was removed to Cambridge City, where he was the

54 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

pastor of St. Elisabeth's Church, till August, 1874. Here he
found a demoralized congregation, which had been interdicted
for some six months, and was financially involved. After a
time the debt was paid, but the location of the church was
most objectionable. The following paper, by Bishop de St.
Palais, will explain the condition of things, satisfactorily: "in
consideration of the circumstances, in which the congregation
of Cambridge City is placed, and of the many sacrifices the
members of said congregation, though small in number, have
made to build up their church, and that, notwithstanding all
their efforts to do so, they now, after years of struggle, find
the same hemmed in on all sides by the newly constructed
railroads, in such a manner, that divine service is thereby
frequently disturbed, and consequently the necessity, of pro-
curing a more suitable location for the House of God, is appar-
ent; I, therefore, not only authorize the pastor of said congre-
gation, the Rev. H. Alerding, to collect funds for this purpose,
but 1 also herewith strongly recommend the Reverend Gentle-
man to the generous and charitable sympathies of all, on whom
he may call for the furtherance of his laudable undertaking. —
Given at Vincennes under my seal and signature, July 14, 1873.
— Maurice de St. Palais, Bishop of Vincennes." The generous
support given Father Alerding enabled him, as already stated,
to liquidate the indeBtedness on the church property, and also
to purchase a new site for a new church. While pastor at
Cambridge City, he had charge also of the stations Knightstown
and New Castle in Henry county and Hagerstown in Wayne
county. The churches at Knightstown and New Castle were
built by him and wholly paid for. It was during his pastorate,
that Bishop de St. Palais visited all these places, and admin-
istered Confirmation.

In 1873, the Rev. Joseph Petit had organized St. Joseph's
Congregation, at Indianapolis, having erected a two story
building on East Vermont street, which was to be church,
school and pastoral residence. Father Petit resigned in 1874.
Bishop de St. Palais built a roomy three story addition, to the
structure erected by Father Petit, and made it St. Joseph's
Seminary. It was at thi^ juncture, in the summer of 1874,
that Father Alerding was transferred to Indianapolis, and
appointed to the position of procurator for the Seminary, and

Bishop Herman Joseph Alerding, Continued. 55

pastor for the congregation, which continued to have regular
services in the Seminary chapel. The Seminary continued for
one year, and was then abandoned. Immediately upon the
advent of Bishop Chatard to the diocese. Father Alerding was
directed to build a new church in some other quarter, in order
that the Bishop might use the old building as a hospital. A
site was bought on the corner of North and Noble streets for
$5,500, on which the present St. Joseph's Church was erected
and was dedicated, on July 4, 1880. The church cost |25,000.
A priest's house soon followed at the moderate cost of $2,500.
At the instigation of the pastor, the Sisters of Providence
erected the St. Joseph's Academy, south of the church. Later,
a building, 100x50 feet, with four large school rooms on the
first floor and the entire second floor for a hall, was erected.
At the close of Father Alerding's pastorate a debt, not at all
burdensome, remained upon the valuable church property.

A red letter day in the history of St. Joseph's Church was
September 22, 1893, when the congregation celebrated the
Silver Jubilee of its organization, and the pastor the Silver
Jubilee of his ordination to the priesthood. It was a day of
joy and still lives in the memory of Father Alerding and his
friends.

In 1883, Father Alerding published "A History of the
Catholic Church in the Diocese of Vincennes." In the preface
Bishop Chatard says: "It seems to me we all, of this diocese
of Vincennes, owe a debt of gratitude to Rev. H. Alerding, on
his successful completion of this history of the beginning of
the Faith in our midst. It is to be regretted that not all
corresponded to his request for information, owing, perhaps
to want of information or documentary statements, or to press
of occupation. As far as it goes, he has presented us a recital
having the vividness of actual experience, and the reliability of
an extract of records. The book is also a monument to his in-
dustry and untiring patience, in the midst of financial and
parochial work, which might well have excused him from such
an undertaking."

The See of Fort Wayne becoming vacant upon the death
of Bishop Rademacher, little did Father Alerding or his friends,
or the diocesans of Fort Wayne dream that he would be the
Fourth Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne. Yet " BY THE

56 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

GRACE OF GOD AND THE FAVOR OF THE APOSTOLIC
SEE" such was the case. The Bulls of appointment bearing
the date of August 30, 1900, were placed in the hands of the
Bishop-elect on September 27th, and the consecration took
place on November 30th, of the same year. The consecration
took place in the Cathedral, at Fort Wayne: Archbishop Elder
of Cincinnati was the consecrator and Bishop O'Donaghue
Auxiliary of Indianapolis and Bishop Moeller of Columbus,
were the Assistant Bishops. Chaplains to Archbishop Elder
were Revs. J. H. Oechtering, P. F. Roche and E. J. Wrobel.
Chaplains to Bishop O'Donaghue, Revs. D. J. Mulcahy and
William Schmidt. Chaplains to Bishop Moeller, Revs. John
R. Dinnen and H. M. Plaster. Chaplains to the Bishop-elect,
Revs. A. Morrissey, C. S. C. and John Bleckmann. The other
prelates present were. Bishop McCloskey, of Louisville; Bishop
Chatard, of Indianapolis, chaplain Rev. A. J. Kroeger; Bishop
Richter, of Grand Rapids, chaplain Rev. H. F. Jos. Kroll;
Bishop Maes, of Covington, chaplain Rev. R. Wurth, O. F. M.;
Bishop Foley, of Detroit, chaplain Rev. A. B. Oechtering;
Bishop Horstmann, of Cleveland, chaplain Rev. F. Nigsch,
C. PP. S.; Bishop Byrne, of Nashville, chaplain Rev. M. J.
Byrne. The priests taking- part in the solemn ceremony were :-
Rev. G. Horstmann, cross-bearer; Rev. T. Mungovan, book-
bearer; Rev. J. Schmitz, mitre-bearer; Rev. J. Walsh, gremiale;
Rev. J. Tremmel, censer-bearer; Revs. F. X. Labonte and J. F.
Noll, acolythes; Very Rev. J. H. Guendling, assistant priest;
Revs. H. T. Wilken and J. F. Delaney, deacons of honor; Rev.
H. Boeckelmann, deacon, and Rev. John R. Quinlan, sub-
deacon of the Mass; Revs. W. J. Quinlan, J. P. Durham, A. E.
Lafontaine and P. J. O'Reilley, masters of ceremonies; Revs.
L. A. Moench and B. Boebner, C. PP. S., chanters, and Rev.
J. H. Bathe, notary. The preacher on the occasion was the
Rev. Joseph Chartrand, private secretary to Bishop Chatard.
The following was Bishop Alerding's first pastoral letter:

"Herman Joseph, by the Grace of God and Favor of
THE Apostolic See, Bishop of Fort Wayne.

"To the Clergy and Laity of his diocese, greeting:- ■

"On this feast of St. Andrew, the thirtieth day of Novem-
ber, in the year of Our Lord, 1900, the day of my consecration

Bishop Herman Joseph Alerding, Coniinued. 57

and elevation to the burden of the episcopate (Onus Episco-
patus), I hasten to send you a word of greeting. You, the
clergy, disinterested, self-sacrificing, zealous laborers in the
Lord's vineyard, have done great and enduring deeds for God's
glory and the salvation of souls. God's grace has been bountiful
and your co-operation most generous. These premises given,
the same glorious results are brought about at all times and in
all places, as also in the diocese of Fort Wayne. The leadership
of my predecessors in this favorite see, the Right Rev. John
Henry Luers, the Right Rev. Joseph Dwenger, the Right Rev.
Joseph Rademacher — not omitting the administration of Right
Rev. Mgr. Julian Benoit, Very Rev. Joseph H. Brammer and
Very Rev. John H. Guendling — has pointed you upward and
onward. Lofty generalship has been at the head of the devoted
priests of this diocese, and what wonder, if the diocese of Fort
Wayne, throughout its length and breadth, is well established
and well ordered.

"To you, the laity, whole-souled and devoted to your
spiritual guides, shall be given merited recognition. The
result of your generous devotedness to holy religion is apparent
everywhere, throughout the diocese. You have furnished the
means to erect the numerous and magnificent churches, evi-
dences of a faith truly active; for, none but a practically Catholic
head and heart will contribute generously, when the great
cause demands it.

"The diocese may be quoted as an example worthy of
emulation in the great work of Catholic education. Priests
and people are a unit in the establishing, the upholding and the
regulating of the schools. A prosperous school means a pros-
perous parish, a poor shcool means a poor parish; no Catholic
school means — 1 will not say — means no parish, but your
imagination may picture the dreary condition and unpromising
future of such a parish.

"And, again, the different religious communities of men
and women, laboring in charities of various kinds, dotting the
diocese throughout with the evidences of prosperity and bound-
less zeal — aye — and that institution of institutions, upon which
the fire-fiend laid his heavy hand not less than four times in
the current year, without causing this bulwark of faith and
morals to waver even for a moment, in its great battles for

58 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

science and religion — the University of Notre Dame. What a
splendid record for the diocese of Fort Wayne.

"Consecrated Chief Pastor of this diocese at the close of
the ecclesiastical year 1900, and at the close, too, of the eccles-
iastical nineteenth century; and looking back over all that has
been accomplished in this diocese— so briefly enumerated and
so imperfectly withal — need I tell you that my soul is all aglow
with joy, trembling with gratitude to God.

"But, dear brethren of the clergy, beloved children of the
laity, what of the future, what of the twentieth century? Well,
what of it? The clergy will continue to labor in the twentieth
as they did in the nineteenth century; the laity will second the
efforts of their priests in the twentieth as they did in the nine-
teenth century. The new Bishop has been sent by the Pope,
the same as his three predecessors had been sent by the Pope.
The Holy Ghost rules the Church today, and will do so till the
end of time, the same as He has done from the beginning.
Let us be convinced, that the new century has even greater
things in store for the church than the glorious acquisitions
bestowed in the nineteenth century.

"Profoundly grateful to God for all His blessings upon
our beloved diocese, let us beg Him to continue His vigilant
care over us in the future. May the Holy Ghost descend upon
your humble servant, enlighten his intellect that he may under-
stand his duties, strengthen his will, that he may firmly adhere
to what is right and just.

"May the blessing of Almighty God, of the Father ,and of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, descend upon you, and remain
always." — The letter was dated at Fort Wayne, Indiana,
November 30, 1900.

Bishop Alerding at once began to visit the various churches
of his diocese, and has made it a rule to visit all of them at least
once every three years.

On September 30, 1903, he promulgated a Synod to be
held on November 11th of the same year, in the Cathedral at
Fort Wayne. The Synod was held and consisted of two sessions
one in the forenoon, and one in the afternoon. The Statutes
were officially published on March 19, 1904, and from that date
were in full force. Among other things a new deanery was
estabUshed, so that at present the diocese has six deaneries:

Bishop Herman Joseph Alerding, Concluded. 59

Fort Wayne, South Bend, Hammond, Logansport, Lafayette
and Muncie. Heretofore each deanery was made to consist
of certain parishes, but since the Synod each deanery consists
of certain counties.

Bishop Alerding was absent from his diocese from Septem-
ber 7 to November 15, 1905, to comply with his obligation of
the "visitatio ad limina Apostolorum." The clergy made use
of the occasion of his departure, as an opportunity to present
to their Bishop an address, replete with good wishes and
heartfelt prayers for his safe journey to Rome, and a safe
return. Along with the address a generous purse, by the priests,
was presented. His return on November 15th was greeted
with unusual demonstration of joy by the people. The Cathe-
dral was packed, the long entrance to it left no passage way,
and Calhoun street was crowded the entire length of the Cathe-
dral Square. Amid the ringing of bells and a grand exhibition
of fireworks, thousands of people stood in the rain, to bid the
Bishop welcome home with deafning cheers. Mr. W. J. Breen
delivered an address of welcome, at the Cathedral entrance.
Having reached the sanctuary the Bishop addressed the vast
audience. From this address we quote one paragraph : "When
I knelt at the feet of the Supreme Pastor of the whole Church it
seemed as if knelt there, every man, woman and child of the
diocese of Fort Wayne. When I visited the great St. Peter's
Cathedral, impressed with its vast proportions, I fancied I saw
in the great sanctuary Pius the Tenth, in the full splendor of
grandest church ceremonial, and kneeling there with me my
eighty thousand and more diocesan children. Indeed the great
Cathedral could accommodate them all."

Bishop Alerding brought with him from Rome a large
number of relics, to receive which, and to expose them for the
veneration of the faithful, a place was prepared beneath the
altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the Cathedral.

CHAPTER VII.

DOMESTIC PRELATES OF HIS HOLINESS.

1. THE RIGHT REV. MGR. JULIAN BENOIT, V. G.

He was born in Septmoncel, a village in the great Jura
mountain range, France, on October 17, 1808. He began his
theological studies at the age of seventeen, and having com-
pleted these studies, he was ordained subdeacon and deacon,
not having attained the required age for priesthood. He was
so impressed with Bishop Brute's sanctity and learning, that
he emigrated to America, on June 1, 1836. He was ordained
priest, by Bishop Brute, at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Balti-
more, on St. Mark's day, 1837. His first appointment was at
Leopold, near Evansville, Indiana. He was next sent to Rome,
on the Ohio river, and then went to Chicago; from which place
he also attended Lockport, Joliet and several other towns along
the canal. After one year he returned to Leopold, spending
there three and one-half years in hard missionary labor. During
his stay at Leopold, he received a salary of $63.00.

He was next sent to Fort Wayne, where he arrived on
April 16, 1840. During the first six months, in Fort Wayne,
he boarded with Francis Comparet. The church, at that time,
was a frame structure rudely built, not plastered, 35x65 feet,
with a few rough boards for benches. Father Benoit soon
secured all the ground, known as Cathedral Square, and paid
for it. His missionary field of labor comprised Lagro, Hunting-
ton, Columbia City, Warsaw, Goshen, Avilla, New France,
New Haven, Besancon, Hesse Cassel and Decatur. With the
exception of a few canal towns, these visits had all to be made
on horseback. During sickly seasons Father Benoit underwent
incredible hardships, on account of sick-calls as far as Muncie,
Indiana, and Defiance, Ohio. In 1845, he brought three
Sisters of Providence to Fort Wayne, where he gave them a
house completely furnished, and, towards enlarging the building,
he contributed $5,000, in 1883. He built the present brick

i

Domestic Prelates, Continued. 61

structure, on the corner of Jefferson and Clinton streets, for a
school for boys. He also erected the first episcopal residence,
the present clergy house, on Clinton street, at a cost of $16,000,
mostly from his personal resources.

Father Benoit visited New Orleans in 1853 and in 1860,
soliciting funds for the building of the Fort Wayne Cathedral.
In the autumn of 1861, the Cathedral was dedicated, having
cost, including furniture, about $60,000. Father Benoit
visited Europe in 1841, in 1865, remaining there about thirteen
months; and in 1874, as a member of the first American pil-
grimage, remaining from May till September, These visits
were made principally in the interests of the diocese of Fort
Wayne. Many honors were bestowed on Father Benoit. He
was made Vicar General of the diocese of Vincennes, in 1852,
and of Fort Wayne, in 1858. During Bishop Luers' visit to
Europe, in 1865, Father Benoit was Admiinistrator of the
diocese. At the Second Plenary Council of Baltimore, in 1866,
he was the theologian of Bishop Luers. After the death of
Bishop Luers, he was again Administrator of the diocese, from
June, 1871, to April, 1872. He attended the four Provincial
Councils, at Cincinnati, as theologian to the Bishop. In 1883,
he was again Administrator of the diocese, during Bishop
Dwenger's absence in Rome. A Papal Brief of Leo XI II,
bearing date of June 12, 1883, conferred upon Father Benoit
the honors and title of Domestic Prelate of His Holiness. The
investiture took place in the Cathedral, on August 16th, of
the same year.

Father Benoit's interest in, and labors among, the Indians
remains to be recorded. Remnants of the old Fort Wayne
and the Council House of the Miami Indians, on East Main
street, still stood when Father Benoit came. He proved a
true friend and protector of the poor Indians, in their trans-
actions with the United States government, and the post-
traders. In 1848, the Indians received orders from the govern-
ment to leave their reservations about Fort Wayne, and go to
the territory assigned them in Kansas. They numbered about
800, and were led by Chief Lafontaine, whom, together with
his wife and children, Father Benoit had received into the
Church. The Indians, however, refused to leave, unless Father
Benoit would go with them. The government sent on some

62 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

troops, and the captain, calling on Father Benoit, begged of
him to lead the Indians away peaceably. Upon these repre-
sentations Father Benoit secured the services of Father Neyron,
the only survivor of the band of twenty-two priests, that came
to Indiana with him, and started on his tour, to please the
Indians and prevent bloodshed. The tribe started overland,
in the summer of 1849, and Father Benoit went by canal boat
to Cincinnati, thence over the Ohio and Mississippi to St.
Louis, where he took the stage for the present Kansas City.
He finally reached the reservation, marked out for the Indians
by the government, and remained in the encampment with
his beloved children of the forest, about two weeks. He
returned home by stage the entire route, travelling nine days
and nights in one continuous trip. Out of six persons in the
group, he was the only one to endure the hardships of the trip
in one continuous journey.

Father Benoit's health began to fail, and when Bishop
Dwenger returned from the Baltimore Council, in 1884, he
found him complaining of a severe pain in his throat. Three
leading physicians were called in, and pronounced his ailment
to be cancer of the throat. Father Benoit recognized, that
his remaining days on earth were few, and, with characteristic
resignation, he remarked: "If Providence desires to take me
by the throat, then God's will be done." An altar was erected
in his room, and on Sunday morning, January 11, 1885, he
offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, for the last time. He
sufl'ered intensely, but he bore all in calm resignation to God's
will. On Monday evening, January 26, 1885, having received
all the consolations of religion, the heroic soul of the apostolic
Father Benoit passed away. His remains rest in the Crypt
of the Cathedral.

2. THE RIGHT REV. MGR. JOHN H. OECHTERING, V. G.

He was born December 23, 1845, at Lingen, Hanover,
Germany, a son of Clement and Mary (Grotemeier) Oechtering.
He attended the schools of his native city until twelve years of
age, after which he spent two years at the Gymnasium, a school
for the higher branches of literature and science, in the same

Domestic Prelates, Concluded. 63

city of Lingen. In 1858, he was sent to college in Munster
and remained seven years, after which he spent two years at
the University in the same city. In 1867, he entered the
American College of Louvain, Belgium, as a candidate for the
priesthood. He was ordained for the diocese of Fort Wayne,
by the Co-adjutor Archbishop of MaHnes, May 21, 1869. Mgr.
Oechtering came to America the same year, and was assigned
to Elkhart, residing, however, at Mishawaka. He had charge
of Elkhart one year, when he was transferred to St. Joseph's
Church at Laporte, where he remained ten years. As pastor
of St. Joseph's Church at Laporte he also attended Otis. On
July 14, 1880, he was appointed pastor of St. Mary's Church,
Fort Wayne. For an account of Mgr. Oechtering's pastoral
labors the reader is referred to the history of St. Joseph's
Church, at Laporte, of Otis, and of St. Mary's Church at Fort
Wayne. In 1888, he was named irremovable rector of the same
church by Bishop Dwenger; in 1903, Vicar General of the diocese
of Fort Wayne by Bishop Alerding; and in 1905, Domestic
Prelate of His Holiness, Pope Pius X. Mgr. Oechtering is a
ripe scholar: noted for several treatises of merit on Capital and
Labor, Socialism, not to omit a number of dramas much admired
for their original conception and classical fmish. The titles of
these dramas are: Hermenegild, William Tell, and King Saul;
a comedy: The Living Statue, and a farce: the Discovery of
America. His Catechism of Church History for the higher
grades of Catholic schools is doing good service to religion and
bids fair, when better known, to be introduced in schools
everywhere. Mgr. Oechtering is the Judge of the Matrimonial
Court, Moderator of the Fort Wayne Deanery, Synodal Exam-
iner and President of the School Board.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE CLERGY, DIOCESAN AND REGULAR.

The list of names given in this chapter presents, in alpha-
betical order, the names of priests, who have performed pas-
toral functions in this diocese, from about 1669, till the present
time: covering a period of fully two and one-third centuries.
The diocesan clergy is numerically the strongest, but there are
also many members of the C. S. C, the C. PP. S., the O. F. M.,
the O. S. B., and the S. J. A considerable number of these,
both diocesan and regular, were transient only, but their names
must not be omitted from the role of honor though, in a number
of cases, the names could not be traced beyond a mere mention ;
and these will be found, in their order, in the index for reference.

For obvious reasons, these biographical sketches are
brief. What is beyond the full name, the place and time of
birth, the studies, the ordinations, the various appointments,
and some incidents of a personal nature, must be looked for
under the heads of parishes, to which they were assigned.
Some estimate of the character and labors of deceased priests
has been attempted, but with regard to priests, still Hving, the
facts are simply stated without comment. God alone can
judge and weigh the life of a priest, in the many details of multi-
farious duties, at the altar, in the pulpit, in the confessional, in
the baptistry, at the bedside of the dying, in the school, in mani-
fold spiritual ministrations in the church, in his own house, in
the homes of his parishoners ; not to mention the most arduous
task of regulating the finances of the church property, with all
that this duty implies, of collecting and administering the offer-
ings of the faithful, in the interests of the parish.

We have before us three letters of the Rev. Stephen
Theodore Badin, addressed to the "Right Rev. Doctor Purcell,
Athenseum, Cincinnati." They illustrate forcibly the labors
incident to a pastoral and missionary life, and coming from the
first priest ordained in the United States, will serve as intro-
ductory to the biographies here presented.

The Clergy, Continued. 65

"Feb. 15, 183"4, Fort Wayne Inda.

"Two months have elapsed since I left the Indian Village,
having been detained here by various causes, bad weather,
the infirmities of old age, pastoral avocations, and the various
affairs incident to the building of a chapel at this place, pro-
curing a piece of land for the honor of God etc. Meanwhile I
have been informed that there is a number of Catholics towards
the N. W. corner of your diocese, destitute of the benefits of
the Church, and assailed by Methodist and Baptist preachers.
1 am apprehensive that they are very ignorant etc, and conse-
quently much exposed to be perverted. There is a Baptist
mission for the Ottawa Indians in the same parts, wherein
they have enticed some Catholics.

"1 avail myself of the present opportunity, to enclose |10
for four subscriptions to the Catholic Telegraph, namely
Francis Comparet, Esq. Fort Wayne — Messrs. Aughinbaugh
and Dubois, Fort Wayne, Inda., Mrs. Coquillard, South Bend,
St. Joseph Cty., Inda., and Mr. D. Burr, P. M., Treaty Ground,
Wabash Cty., Inda. Mr. Burr is pursuaded in his mind of the
Catholic truths, and I hope that he will become a member and
a benefactor of the Church."

Father Badin quotes from the letter of one of the two
"Charity Sisters" in the Indian Village on the St. Joseph river:
"My dear Father, I am quite glad to inform you that we are
so happy that we would not exchange our station for anything.
Eliza Jackson."

This first letter is signed: S. T. Badin, V. G. of Bardst.
"May 10, 1834, South Bend, St. Joseph Cty., Inda.

" Your favor of Feb. 25, was received a few days ago, owing
to my various excursions and to the known neglect of post-
masters. 1 sincerely condole with you on the embarrassments
in which you have found your Diocese * * * But we must
consider that nothing happens without the Divine permission,
be resigned, bear patiently all afflictions (which are not rare in
the holy ministry) and apply by humble, fervent and repeated
prayers to the sovereign pastor of souls, who can alone supply
our wants. In my little sphere I meet with difficulties little
expected: I will not expatiate on this topic; but would beg
your advice, if we could have this summer a confidential inter-
view A. M. D. G. I must soon go to Fort Wayne, thence visit

66 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

the forks of the Wabash, where many Irish and German Cath-
oHcs have been expecting me, who are employed in digging a
canal, and are desirous of building a chapel. Thence I should
go to Logansport eighty or ninety miles west of Fort Wayne.
I am besides engaged in making a new establishment near this
place for an orphan house, and I must begin with erecting a
chapel. You may perceive that at the age of 66 I have a
suificient share of toils. I would wish rather to enjoy solitude
and retirement, in order to prepare for my fast approaching
dissolution. * * * It is true, we have books enough to
defend our holy religion, but they are not, or but little read by
the generality of men, whereas a public, authoritative declara-
tion of the American Bishops, which would be inserted in many
American papers, would excite attention. * * *"

This second letter is signed: Stephen Theod. Badin.
"September 23, 1834, Huntington (Town) Huntington
Cty. Inda.

"The date of this letter reminds me that this day 42 years
ago, the 1st Bishop of Baltimore ordained the first sub-deacon
of his Diocese, and gave the tonsure and minor orders to 3 or 4
ordinandi. — Time has brought many changes and ameliora-
tions, or rather the Divine Pastor has given an incalculable
increase to the sheep and lambs. There were then about 30
priests in the U. S. * * * My intention, when I left home
12 days ago, was to answer the honor of your invitation. But
first, we have many sick people along the canal lines. Second,
when 1 am in Logansport at the mouth of Eel river (into the
Wabash) the shortest road to Louisville, where my own affairs
call me, will be by Indianapolis. Third, I have been informed
by the CathoHc Herald that the consecration of the excellent
Bishop of Vincennes is to take place on the first Sunday of
October in Bardstown, where most probably I will have the
opportunity of seeing you. In fine I may return by Cincinnati-
for I have not money for traveling expenses.

"In consequence of more than one considerable wrong
done me I am reduced to distress, am in debt, received no salary,
and withal have spent considerable sums to establish the
Church in these backwoods. I speak not of labors, privations.
My trust is in Divine Providence, which fails not. * * *

"To serve you it would be gratifying to me to extend my

The Clergy, Continued. 67

labors to the N. W. of your diocese, but the above date of my
ordination has already informed you that I am more than 66
years of age, and considering that 1 do ride almost incessantly
to attend 5 congregations on three lines of about 80 miles each,
it would prove a deception and a presumption to attempt more
than I do at present. Indeed I am compelled from debility to
use many precautions, which I disregarded in former periods
of life.

"It may happen that Divine providence will not permit
me to see the Angel of Vincennes. I had intended to write to
congratulate him and his Diocese on his promotion, which has
filled me with consolations; but having been made uncertain of
the place and time where and when he was to be consecrated,
and being often destitute either of time or even of conveniences
in the miserable, crowded cabins where I must lodge in traveling,
feeling also frequent fatigues, I have not yet satisfied my heart
in presenting him my best respects, and in assuring him in my
readiness to cooperate with and assist him in his exertions to
establish and extend the kingdom of God in his new Diocese;
wherefor I beg of you the favor to communicate these lines to
him."

Having mentioned the Irish, the Canadians and the French,
Father Badin continues: "As to the Indians, the greater num-
ber of them being Christians, are on the boarders of Michigan,
under the direction of the excellent priest, Mons. de Seille.
He made this summer two excursions among the Pottawot-
tamies of Tippecanoe river and baptised 76 of them the first
Sunday of May, and 60 more the first Sunday of this month.
The Pottawottamies of Michigan have sold all their land, and
must emigrate within two years, but those of Tippecanoe have
retained their Reserves of land, and may form a Catholic mission
in the Diocese of Vincennes. The Indians are our best congre-
gations.— Town lots have been procured in five or six different
places, viz. South Bend (one and a half miles from my estab-
lishment on St. Joseph river), Fort Wayne, Huntington, Wabash
and Logansport. Three years ago I obtained also of Judge
Hood two acres in the town of Peru, and prevailed on him to
make his offer to Bishop Flaget; but as he did not answer the
polite letter, and lots have become very valuable at Peru, there
will perhaps be a demur. I caused the lot of Huntington to

68 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

be deeded to Bishop Flaget — but the donor of eleven acres in
Wabash, being a friend of mine, preferred to give me his obh-
gation for the same and I did not insist otherwise from motives
of politeness and prudence.

"Our resources must be in the education of youth. Mr.
Comparet estimates that the congregation in and about Fort
Wayne must amount to 100 families. Prevailing sickness and
mortality, the absence of pastor and poverty have prevented
the forwarding of church aflfairs. No time should be lost in
forwarding the erection of chapels along the canal line, because
as soon as the work is done in one section of the country the
Catholic hands move to another section, and the prospect of
such erections diminishes or vanishes. — This has been evidenced
in Fort Wayne: the timber alone has been secured. There
should be two priests riding constantly every week along a line
of 80 miles. They should be active, pious, learned and dis-
interested, courageous and mortified. * * *"

This third letter is signed: S. T. Badin, Protosa. Baltim.

THE REV. DIONYSIUS ABARTH, O. F. M.

He was born June 6, 1823; entered the Order August 12,
1842; ordained priest July 12, 1846; came to America in 1855;
at St. Boniface's Church, Lafayette, from July, 1869, to Sep-
tember, 1870; died in Louisville, Kentucky, November 20, 1882.

THE REV. BERNARDINE ABBINK, O. S. F.

He was born at Cleveland, Ohio, October 20, 1850. He
received his classical education, philosophical and theological
courses, at Cross Village, Michigan. He was ordained priest
at Cross Village, by Bishop Borgess, on July 25, 1879. He
labored up to 1896 among the Indians in upper Michigan,
since which time he has been the chaplain at the Old Peoples'
Home, at Avilla.

THE REV. JOSEPH ABEL.

He was born February 15, 1861, in Dorsten, Diocese of
Munster, Germany. He studied the classics at St. Joseph's
College, near Rensselaer, philosophy at St. Francis, Wisconsin,

i

The Clergy, Continued. 69

and theology at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati. He
was ordained priest by Bishop Alerding on June 21, 1901, in
the Cathedral at Fort Wayne. His first appointment was
assistant at St. Joseph's Church, Hammond, till June 6, 1902.
On that date he was appointed pastor of St. Patrick's Church
at Walkerton. The missions Hamlet, Bremen and the station
Knox, are attended from Walkerton.

THE REV. A. ADAM.

He immigrated to this country on occasion of one of
Father Sorin's visits to Europe. Father Adam for a few years
resided in the French settlement north of Fort Wayne, where
he built the Academy of the Sacred Heart, the church and
priest's house of St. Vincent's Congregation. He became the
resident pastor of St. Louis' Church at Besancon, on January
1, 1870. In 1875, Father Adam with Bishop Dwenger's per-
mission, returned to France. Here, after serving for two years
as chaplain in the Navy, he was appointed to a model parish,
in the center of France, by the Bishop of Tours. His church
there was over a thousand years old. He remained in France
until 1905, when, an old man of seventy three years and after
fifty years of hard priestly labor, he begged his Bishop for
permission to pass his remaining days in the Trappist Com-
munity, in Kentucky. He returned to the United States for
that purpose, owing to the persecution of religious orders in
France. However, being too aged for the rigorous Trappists'
rule, the venerable priest was readmitted to the Diocese of
Fort Wayne, and appointed chaplain to the Sisters of St.
Joseph, at their Mother House near Tipton.

THE REV. CLAUDE ALLOUEZ, S. J.

He was born at Saint Didier, en Forest, France. He
studied in the College of Puy en Velay, where he was under
the direction of St. Francis Regis. He entered the Society of

70 The Diocese of Fort Wayne,

Jesus, and in 1658 was sent to Canada, His first labors were
near Quebec, but on August 16, 1665, he left Three Rivers for
his great Western Mission. He created the missions around
Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. In 1680 he built three
chapels: One at Pokegan, another near the Lakes of Notre
Dame, and the third near the fort of the Pottawottamies. He
died on August 28, 1689, in the seventy-sixth year of his age.
His successors in the order named were, Rev. Claude Aveneau,
S. J.. Rev. James Gravier, S. J. and Rev. John B. Chardon,
S. J., until 1759. In this year. Fort St. Joseph was reduced
by English soldiers, the survivors taken prisoners and carried
away to Quebec. The mission was not reorganized until the
arrival of Father Badin, in 1830.

THE REV. PHILIBERT ALTSTAETTER, O. F. M.

He was born March 18, 1858; entered the Order September
4, 1875; ordained priest March 12, 1881; assistant at St. Boni-
face's Church, Lafayette, from May 1881 to August 1884;
attended Schimmels, from May to August 25, 1881, residing at
Lafayette.

THE REV. GEORGE ANGERMAIER.

He was born on April 15, 1876, in Engelpolding, Arch-
diocese of Munich, Bockhorn, Bavaria, Germany. He
attended^ the parochial schools of his native town. He made
his classical studies at St. Benedict's College, Atchison, Kansas;
philosophy and theology at St. Meinrad's Seminary. He was
ordained priest by Bishop Alerding in the Cathedral at Fort
Wayne, on June 22, 1906. Returning from a visit to his native
place, he was appointed assistant at Decatur on September
16, 1906.

The Clergy, Continued. 71

THE REV. VENANTIUS ARNOLD, O. F. M.

He was born on December 19, 1833; entered the Order
October 28, 1850; ordained priest December 20, 1856; came to
America in May, 1860; pastor of St. Boniface's Church, Lafay-
ette, from December 1865 to July 1869; returned to Europe,
August, 1874; died at Salzburg, Austria, May 27, 1895.

THE REV. VINCENT BACQUELIN.

He was a native of France; and was ordained priest at
Emmittsburg, Maryland, April 25th, 1837. He celebrated Mass
shortly after his ordination in a log tavern, at Anderson,
residing at Shelbyville. From here he also visited Cicero.
He met his death, while returning from a missionary trip, on
September 2, 1846, in Rush county, being thrown by his
horse against a tree, killing him almost instantly.

THE VERY REV. STEPHEN THEODORE BADIN, V. G.

He was born in Orleans France, on July 17, 1763. He
studied with the Sulpicians in his native city. The French
Revolution having closed their seminary, young Badin, after
receiving Subdeaconship, emigrated to America and reached
Baltimore, March 28, 1792. Bishop Carroll ordained him a
priest, on May 25, 1793, the first ordination of a priest in the
United States. On September 6, 1793, he, with Father Bar-
rieres, left Baltimore and after a most laborious journey on
foot to Pittsburg, by boat on the Ohio to Maysville, and again
on foot to Lexington, where he arrived on December 1, 1793.
In 1830, the Pottawottamie chief, Pokagon, induced the Very
Rev. Gabriel Richard, Vicar General of the Diocese of Cin-
cinnati, residing at Detroit, to secure Father Badin from the
Kentucky missions for the region of the present Notre Dame.
Father Badin built a log chapel on St. Mary's Lake. It was
24x40 feet, and served the purposes of a chapel and the priest's
residence. He also bought a section of land from the United
States Government, intended for the site of the future great

72 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

University. In 1842, he transferred the title of this land to
the Fathers of the Holy Cross; which makes him the founder
in fact of Notre Dame. The Catholic Historian Shea, under
chapter X, giving the years 1829 to 1832, says: "The veteran
priest Stephen T. Badin was laboring among the Pottawot-
tamies near South Bend, Indiana. The Baptists soon aban-
doned the mission attempted by them, and he was encouraged
in his efforts to revive the teachings of the early missionaries."
And again: "The Venerable Badin, living with the Indian
Chief Pokagon, not only attended his Indians, but a French
village and two future sees, Fort Wayne and Chicago."

Father Badin assisted at the burial of Bishop Flaget, who
died on February 11, 1850. After that he withdrew to Cin-
cinnati, where he died April 21, 1853. In May 1906, his remains
were transferred from the Cathedral at Cincinnati to Notre
Dame, where they now rest in a log chapel, the exact reproduc-
tion of the first chapel built by the zealous missionary on St.
Mary's Lakes.

THE REV. JOACHIM BAKER.

The sixth of a family of nine children, was born on March
7, 1863, to Jacob and Agatha (Meyer) Baker, at Fort Wayne,
His parents were natives of Hesse Darmstadt and Baden,
Germany, but were married at Fort Wayne. His father was
engaged in saw-milling. Father Baker attended St. Mary's
parochial school and also the Cathedral school. In 1879 he
entered St. Lawrence's College at Mount Calvary, Wisconsin.
Having completed his classical studies, he was received into
St. Francis' Seminary, where he studied philosophy and the-
ology. Archbishop Heiss ordained him deacon on March 19,
1888, and he was ordained priest by Bishop Dwenger on June
29th, of the same year. His first appointment was that of
pastor at Portland, in Jay county. Until a residence could be
built, he resided at Decatur, when in January of 1889, he moved
into the priest's house at Portland, and became its first resident
pastor. During his pastorate there, he had charge of Dunkirk,
Red Key and Ridgeville, as missions. In August 1891, he was
transferred to St. Anthony's, with Goodland for a mission. !

I The Clergy, Continued. 73

His next and present appointment was that of Alexandria,
where he arrived on January 11, 1896. Here again he was the
first resident pastor.

THE REV. EDWARD F. BARRETT.

He was born in Rutland, Vermont, in the diocese of Bur-
lington, on December 22, 1867. He attended the parochial
schools of his native parish, made his classical studies at
Assumption College, Canada, and his theological studies at
Assumption Seminary. He was ordained priest by Right Rev.
L. F. Lafleche, on July 14, 1895, at Boloeil, Canada. He was
assistant at St. Patrick's Church, Fort Wayne, until February
27, 1897, when he was appointed the second resident pastor
of All Saints' Church, at Hammond, where he is at the present
time. He is a member of the Diocesan School Board.

THE REV. SIMON BARTOSZ.

He was born at Posen, Prussia, in 1810; ordained priest,
March 26, 1836; came to America, in 1865. In 1866 he attended
Hanover Centre; from 1867 to 1870, he was the pastor of St.
Joseph's Church, Laporte, succeeding Father Konen. He died
January 28, 1872, and is buried in the cemetery at Fort Wayne.

THE REV. JOHN HENRY BATHE.

He was born May 20, 1854, near Delbrueck, diocese of
Paderborn, Germany, a son of John H. and Theresa (Sandbote)
Bathe, and attended the parochial school of his district, until
thirteen years of age. Having finished his classical course at
Paderborn, in 1872, he completed his philosophical studies in
the same city, and devoted one and a half years to the study
of theology in Munster. He emigrated to America, in the
spring of 1875, and spent another year and a half in the study
of theology, in St. Francis' Seminary, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

74 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

He was ordained priest by Bishop Dwenger, on February 16,
1877, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne. His first appointment
was that of pastor at Schererville, from February 16, 1877 to
December 30, 1881. After that he was sent to Wabash, from
December 30, 1881 to May 16, 1898. From Wabash he was
sent to Valparaiso, but owing to ill health, he remained only
from May 16, to July 26, 1898. Bishop Rademacher then
appointed him Chancellor of the diocese, which position he
filled from September 16, 1898 to July 1, 1905. In this position
he served under Bishop Rademacher, the Administrator, Very
Rev. J. H. Guendling and Bishop Alerding. It was his desire
to be relieved of the office of Chancellor, and he was appointed
pastor of St. Mary's Church, at Avilla, on July 1, 1905. Father
Bathe is one of the Synodal Examiners of the diocese.

THE REV. FRANCIS XAVIER BAUMGARTNER.

He was born on May 1, 1851, at Montlingen, diocese of
St. Gallen, Switzerland. He came to America on October 19,
1864, and was ordained priest, on March 14, 1874. His name
appears on the baptismal records of the Cathedral at Fort
Wayne on March 22, 1874. From 1875 to December 19, 1880,
he was pastor of Lottaville (Turkey Creek), attending to
Hobart and Hammond as missions. He was the second resident
pastor of Kentland, attending to Goodland as a mission, from
December 19, 1880 to March 27, 1883. From April 7, 1883 to
May 9, 1885, he was the first resident pastor of St. Joseph's
Church at Hammond, attending to Hobart as a mission until
February 1885. He died May 9, 1885, and his remains are
buried at Lottaville.

THE REV. FREDERICK BAUMGARTNER, C. PP. S.

He was born on June 19, 1862, at Notzingen, Archdiocese
of Freiburg, Germany; came to America on October 8, 1881;
ordained priest at Cincinnati, on March 8, 1890. He was the
pastor of Pulaski from 1890 to 1892.

i

The Clergy, Continued. 75

THE REV. JULIUS BECKS.

He was born, on October 8, 1836, at Laar, Westphalia,
Germany. He arrived in this country on June 26, 1858.
Having completed his course of theology at Mount St. Mary's
Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio, he was ordained priest, on Decem-
ber 25, 1862, by Bishop Luers, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne.
From January 1863 to September 1864, he was pastor of St.
Mary's Church at Decatur. He was pastor of St Mary's Church
at Michigan City from September 24, 1864 until February 15,
1885. Until November 1, 1867, when St. Ambrose and St.
Mary's parishes became one, he had services in both churches.
From Michigan City he also attended Schimmels, as a mission.
From August 1891 till August 1894, he was pastor of
Lagro. He had charge of Oxford, from September 1894 to
June 1895. His name appears on the baptismal records of
the Cathedral, at Fort Wayne on September 8, 1895. For
six months of the first half of 1896, he was pastor of St. Peter's
Church, at Laporte. Owing to ill health, he was assigned to
St. John's Hospital at Anderson, as chaplain, where he died on
March 14, 1902. His remains rest in the cemeteiy at Michigan
City.

THE REV. ACCURSIUS BEINE, O. F. M.

He was born August 15, 1832; entered the Order October
4, 1860; ordained priest November 7, 1862; pastor of St.
Boniface's Church at Lafayette, from September 1870 to Jan-
uary 1878; died in Louisville, Kentucky, March 13, 1888.

THE REV. MAXIMILIAN BENZINGER.

He was born in Wuertemberg, Germany, October 7, 1848,
son of Michael and Elisabeth (Mueller) Benzinger. He studied
at St. John's, Minnesota, and Calvary College, Wisconsin, and
finished his theology at St. Francis' Seminary, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. He was ordained priest, by Bishop Dwenger, in
the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on June 11, 1884. He was

76 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

pastor of St. Michael's at Summit, from July 4, 1884 to October
17, 1897. He has been pastor of Hesse Cassel, since October
17, 1897.

THE REV. HENRY BERBERICH, O. F. M.

He was born December 23, 1858; entered the Order,
September 14, 1876; ordained priest April 16, 1882; assistant
in Lafayette, from December 1887 to August 1890, at St.
Boniface's Church.

THE REV. JOHN B. BERG.

He was born in Edingen, near Treves, Rhine-province,
Germany, August 20, 1864. He emigrated to America in
August, 1880. He studied the classics in St. Lawrence's College,
Mount Calvary, Wisconsin; his philosophy and first year of
theology in St. Francis' Seminary, Wisconsin, and completed
his theology in St. Vincent's Seminary, West Moreland, Penn-
sylvania. He was ordained priest, by Bishop Dwenger, in
Fort Wayne, on June 15, 1889. His appointments were:
Pastor of Reynolds, with Medaryville and Francisville as mis-
sions; pastor of Alexandria, from June 8, 1893 to October 16,
1893; pastor of Remington, from October 16, 1893 to July 4,
1905; pastor of Whiting, since July 4, 1905. He is a member
of the Diocesan Building Committee.

THE REV. WILLIAM BERG.

He was born on March 25, 1854, in Edingen, diocese of
Treves, Germany. He made his classical studies at Paderborn,
philosophy and theology in Munster, Germany. He was
ordained priest in Osnabrueck, Germany, by Bishop Beckmann,
on May 26, 1877. At the time of his ordination the so called
Kultur-kampf had full sway in Germany. The Bishop of
Munster having been imprisoned, he was ordained by Bishop
Beckmann very early in the morning behind locked doors.

The Clergy, Continued. 77

He emigrated to this country, arriving at Fort Wayne, on July
11, 1877. His first appointment was that of pastor of St.
Martin's Church, Hanover Centre, from August 1877 till June
9, 1881. He received his present appointment, pastor of St.
Michael's Church, Schererville, on June 9, 1881. in F"ebruary
1903, Bishop Alerding appointed him dean of the Hammond
district. He is a member of the Diocesan School Board.

THE RIGHT REV. MGR. AUGUST BESSONIES, V. G.

He was born in Alzac, department du Lot, province of
Quercy, France, on June 17, 1815. Having emigrated to
America, he was ordained priest by Bishop de la Hailandiere,
at Vincennes, on February 22, 1840. From March 11, 1853 to
February 1, 1854, he was pastor at the Cathedral, Fort Wayne,
during the absence of Father Benoit. He was named Right
Rev. Monsignore, January 22, 1884. He died at Indianapolis,
on February 22, 1901.

THE REV. AUGUSTINE BEYER, O. F. M.

He was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 25,1 849 ; ordained
priest at Cincinnati, on May 25, 1872. He attended St. Joseph's
Church at Reynolds sometime between the years 1876 and 1888,
residing at Lafayette.

THE REV. JOHN BIEDERMANN.

He was born on February 11, 1867, at Bendern, Lichten-
stein. Diocese of Chur, Switzerland. He attended the parochial
school of his native city, and at the age of thirteen, he entered
the College of "Mary of Perpetual Help" at Schwyz, Switzer-
land. He pursued his philosophical course at Innsbruck, Tyrol,
from 1886 to 1887, and his theological course at the Diocesan
Seminary of Chur Schwyz, from 1 887 to 1 89 1 . He was ordained
priest, by the Right Rev. Bishop Fidelis Battagli, on July 20,

78 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

1890. Having celebrated his first Mass, on August 5, 1890, he
returned to the Seminary for another year. He was pastor, of
Ruggell, Lichtenstein, from September 18, 1891 to February
1901. On April 1, 1901, he arrived in this country. From
April 15th to September 30, 1901, he was assistant at St. Paul's
Church, Fort Wayne; and from October 1st, of the same year
till June 30, 1905, he was assistant at St. Peter's Church, in the
same city. On June 30, 1905, he was appointed pastor of
Nix Settlement, with Roanoke for a mission.

THE REV. BALTHASAR BIEGEL.

He was born at Hanover Centre, Lake county, Indiana,
on August 6, 1866. The Rev. William Berg gave him private
lessons, after which he entered St. Lawrence's College, Mount
Calvary, Wisconsin, where he finished his classical course, in
June 1885. He studied philosophy and theology, at St. Francis'
Seminary, Milwaukee, and was ordained a priest, with a fourteen
months dispensation, by Bishop Dwenger, in the Cathedral at
Fort Wayne, on June 15, 1889. His first and present appoint-
ment was that of the first resident pastor at Elwood, since
July 29, 1889. From the spring of 1892 till June 1893, he
attended Alexandria, and again, from October 1893 till Decem-
ber 1895. He also attended Cicero, from March till September
10, 1898.

THE REV. F. JOSEPH BILSTEIN.

He was born in Oestinghausen, diocese of Paderborn,
Germany, on February 12, 1867. He studied the classics at
Havestadt and Paderborn, emigrated to this country, and
studied philosophy and theology in the Seminary of St. Francis,
Wisconsin. He was ordained priest by Bishop O'Hara, for the
diocese of Scranton, at Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania, on June 7,
1891. He was assistant at St. Nicholas' Church at Wilkesbarre,
Penn. till October 1895, when he came to Fort Wayne. Assis-
tant at St. Paul's Church, Fort Wayne, October 1895 till
February 1898; pastor of St. Anthony's, Goodland and Morocco,
from February 1898 till October 1900; pastor of Monterey, with,
Rochester, Kouts and Culver as missions, since October 7, 1900.

• The Clergy, Continued. . 79

THE REV. SEBASTIAN BIRNBAUM, C. PP. S.

He was born on May 3, 1825,in Wappershausen, Wuertem-
berg, diocese of Rottenburg, Germany. He came to America,
on June 7, 1864, and was ordained priest, on January 10, 1867.
He assisted Rev. Wolfgang Giedl during his sickness, and upon
his death, on May 23, 1873, Father Birnbaum, became the
pastor of New Haven, remaining until July 1875.

THE REV. MICHAEL J. BIRO, C. S. C.

He was born in Szikszo, Hungary, October 5, 1863. His
classical studies were made at Eger, Hungary, with the Cis-
tercian Monks. He emigrated to America in 1893, and entered
the Congregation of the Holy Cross, on August 15, 1897;
profession, August 15, 1899. He completed his theological
studies at the Catholic University, Washington, D. C, where
he was ordained priest, by Bishop O'Gorman, of Sioux Falls,
on February 8, 1900. He was appointed to organize the first
Hungarian Congregation in South Bend, St. Stephen's. He
was a member of the committee selected by the Hungarians of
America to assist at the unveiling of a statue of George Wash-
ington, at Budha-Pesth, Hungary. He continues in the pas-
torate of St. Stephen's Church at the present time.

THE REV. JOHN BLECKMANN.

He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 5, 1846. He
received his primary education in St. Joseph's school, of the
same city. At the age of fifteen, he was adopted by Bishop
Luers, for the diocese of Fort Wayne and was sent to St.
Xavier's College; after that, he was sent to Notre Dame for
his philosophical course, where he graduated in June, 1866.
He completed his theological course, at Mount St. Mary's of
the West, and was ordained priest, by Bishop Luers, in St.
Joseph's Church, at Cincinnati, on April 27, 1870. He was
made assistant to the Rev. Lawrence Lamoor, at Union City;
where he remained for nine months, attending also the mis-
sions Muncie, Winchester, Hartford City, Dunkirk, Portland

80 . The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

and Ridgeville. He next was made pastor of Attica, from
where he attended various missions scattered through Foun-
tain, Warren, and part of Tippecanoe, counties, such as Cov-
ington and Marshfield. Having had charge of Attica, from
December 1870 until May 1875, he was transferred to Delphi.
On February 15, 1885, Bishop Dwenger appointed him pastor
of St. Mary's Church, at Michigan City. In 1895, he cele-
brated his Silver Jubilee as priest: three bishops honored the
occasion with their presence. Bishop Richter of Grand Rapids,
Bishop Marty of Sioux Falls, and Bishop Rademacher of Fort
Wayne, together with more than one hundred priests. After
the celebration, he took a trip to Europe, where he had the
honor of an audience with Pope Leo XI II. He returned on
August 29, 1895, and remains to this day pastor of St. Mary's
Church. He is the dean of the South Bend district.

THE REV. JOHN BLECKMANN.

He was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, on August 9, 1882. He
attended the parochial school of his native parish, and made
his classical studies at St. Xavier's College, Cincinnati, Ohio.
He began and finished his studies in philosophy and theology,
at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cedar Point, Ohio. He re-
ceived tonsure and first two Minor Orders, in June, 1905; the
other two Minor Orders, on June 21, 1906; Subdeaconship on
March 15th, Deaconship March 16th, 1907, all at the Seminary.
He was ordained priest by Bishop Alerding, in the Cathedral
at Fort Wayne, on May 22, 1907. His first appointment was
that of assistant at St. Mary's Church, Michigan City, on
June 8, 1907.

THE REV. JOHN BLUM.

He was born in Rubenheim, Bavaria, Germany, on Novem-
ber 8, 1866. He studied the classics in Mount Calvary, Wis-
consin, his theology in Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati,
and was ordained priest by Archbishop Elder in Cincinnati, on
June 22, 1892. His appointments were: Pastor of Frankfort
and missions, from July 1, 1892 till December 24, 1895; pastor

The Clergy, Continued. 81

of Reynolds and missions, from December 24, 1895 till Novem-
ber 1, 1896; assistant at Decatur, from November 1, 1896 till
November 1, 1900; pastor of Kewanna (Grass Creek) and its
mission, Lucerne, from November 1, 1900 till June 8, 1902;
assistant at St. Ann's Church, Lafayette, from July 1905 till
December 28, 1905.

THE REV. EDWARD J. BOCCARD.

He was born November 20, 1862, in St. Vincent's Parish,
Allen county, near Fort Wayne. He studied the classics in
St. Lawrence's College, at Mount Calvary, Wisconsin ; phi-
losophy and theology in St. Francis' Seminary, Wisconsin.
He was ordained priest, by Bishop Dwenger, in the Cathedral
at Fort Wayne, on June 15, 1889. His appointments were:
Pastor of Nix Settlement and Roanoke, from July 2, 1889 till
November 1895; pastor of Auburn, from November 1895 till
September 1898; pastor of Kewanna and Lucerne, from Sep-
tember 1898 till October 1900; acting pastor of Columbia
City, from October 1900 to May 1901; pastor at Delphi, since
July 9, 1901.

THE REV. HENRY A. BOECKELMANN.

He was born March 31, 1851, in Oster Kappeln, Hanover,
diocese of Osnabrueck, Germany, a son of Francis and Anna
(Schroeder) Boeckelmann. The family emigrated to the
United States, in 1853, and located in Logansport, where the
father died, September 20, 1882. He attended the parochial
school at Logansport until 16 years of age, when he entered
the College of the Christian Brothers at St. Louis, Missouri.
From there he was sent to St. Viateur's College, Bourbonnais,
Illinois, to make his philosophical and theological course and
was ordained priest, by Bishop Foley of Chicago, on August
30, 1877. He was engaged as teacher at the college for one
year, and on July 27, 1878, he was appointed pastor of St.
John's Church, at Goshen and remained there until November
26, 1880, on which date, he was transferred to the Cathedral

82 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

at Fort Wayne. On February 15, 1885, he was appointed
pastor at Delphi, where he continued until December 30, 1891.
He was pastor of St. Vincent's Church at Elkhart, from Decem-
ber 30, 1891 till October 4, 1906, the date of his death. Father
Boeckelmann was noted for his uniform genial character,
making him a most desirable companion, and also for the zeal
and earnestness with which he performed every duty entrusted
to him. One of the offices held by him was that of Synodal
Examiner. He was also a member of the Diocesan School
Board.

THE REV. JOSEPH BOLKA.

He was born on March 16, 1875, near Otis, Indiana. He
made his classical, philosophical and theological studies at St.
Francis, Wisconsin. Having completed his studies, he was
ordained priest by Archbishop Katzer, at Milwaukee, on May
28, 1899. He was appointed pastor of North Judson, remain-
ing until November 25, 1904, when he received his present
appointment, that of pastor of St. Stanislaus' Church, East
Chicago.

THE REV. BERNARD THEODORE BORG.

He was born in Bexten, Hanover, Germany, on March
8, 1836. He studied the classics at St. Vincent's, Pennsyl-
vania, and philosophy and theology in St. Mary's Seminary,
Baltimore, Maryland. He was ordained priest, by Archbishop
Spalding of Baltimore, on June 30, 1868. His appointments
were the following:- Assistant at St. Charles' Church, Peru,
attending to Kokomo, Marion, and Tipton as missions, and to
Fairmount as a station; pastor at Dyer, from July 1870 till
September 1871; accompanied Bishop Dwenger to Rome, in
1874; assistant at the Cathedral, till 1877; assistant at St.
Mary's Church, Fort Wayne, till 1878; chaplain at the Old
Peoples' Home, Avilla, till 1887; chaplain at St. Vincent's
Orphan Asylum, Fort Wayne, from 1887 till December 22,
1904, the date of his death. His remains rest in the cemetery
at Fort Wayne.

The Clergy, Continued. 83

THE REV. ALEXIUS BOTTI.

He was the pastor of St. Vincent's, in Allen county, from
1858 to 1860, visiting from here New Haven once every month
during the year 1858. From 1860 to 1871, he was pastor of
St. Paul's Church at Valparaiso, attending Hobart as a mission.
He died September 14, 1872, at the age of sixty-five, and is
buried in the cemetery at Fort Wayne.

THE REV. P. J. BOURGET, C. S. C.

He was one of the pastors of St. Joseph's Church at South
Bend, attending the same from Notre Dame, prior to 1869.
He died June 12, 1862, and is buried at Notre Dame.

THE VERY REV. JOSEPH HENRY BRAMMER, V. G.

He was born in Hanover, Germany, on October 1, 1839.
The faith of his parents was the Lutheran. He was a car-
penter by trade, and emigrating to America, in 1854, he settled
in St. Louis. His nature was deeply religious, and after listen-
ing to lectures on Catholic doctrines, and having still farther
studied the same earnestly and sincerely, he was received into
the CathoHc Church, in 1859. He determined to devote his
life to the conversion and guidance of souls. He completed
his study of philosophy and theology in Mount St. Mary's
Seminary, at Cincinnati, Ohio, and was ordained priest at
Fort Wayne on May 11, 1868. He was appointed assistant
priest at the Cathedral. Upon the death of Father Benoit, he
was made Vicar General of the diocese and pastor of the Cathe-
dral. During Bishop Dwenger's absence, in 1885, and again in
1888, he was Administrator of the diocese; and in fact during
the protracted illness of Bishop Dwenger, the arduous duties
of the diocesan administration, as well as the care of the parish,
devolved entirely upon him

In 1880, he erected the imposing building in Cathedral

84 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Square, known as Library Hall. About this time he took a
trip to Europe, where he also visited Ireland. In 1886, he
became largely instrumental in the building of St. Vincent's
Orphan Asylum. Ten years later, in 1896, he undertook and
successfully accomplished the thorough restoration of the
Cathedral building.

Father Brammer organized the St. Vincent de Paul Society
in the Cathedral parish. He loved all men of whatever color,
race or creed; he saw in everyone the image of God, a soul to
be saved. He was known to have given away the last dollar,
and to have borrowed money to assist the poor.

It can be said of him, that he took the deepest interest in
the welfare and advancement of the Cathedral schools: he
loved children with a special affection.

The continuous and arduous labors of Father Brammer
gradually undermined his health, and for several years he was
far from being well. His declining health only served to make
him center his thoughts on the hereafter. His strength failed
him from day to day, until having received the Last Sacra-
ments, while yet in complete possession of his faculties, he
surrendered his soul into the keeping of his Maker on Monday
June 20, 1898. His remains rest in the Crypt of the Cathedral.

THE REV. CLEMENTINE BROERMANN, O. F. M.

He was born November 7, 1873; entered the Order,
August 15, 1890; ordained priest July 24, 1897; assistant in
Lafayette, from August 1897 to November 1898, at St. Boni-
face's Church.

i

THE REV. ADAM M. BUCHHEIT.

He was born October 25, 1861, in Decatur, Indiana, a son
of Adam and Elisabeth (Weber) Buchheit, natives of Germany.
In 1862, the family moved to Fort Wayne. Adam received
his elementary education in St. Paul's School. Rev. Joseph

The Clergy, Continued. 85

Nussbaum, of Hesse Cassel, gave him lessons in Latin, from
1876 to September 1878, when he entered St. Lawrence's Col-
lege, at Mount Calvary, Wisconsin, finishing his classical course
in June 1883. In September, of that year, he came to St.
Francis' Seminary, Wisconsin, where he began and completed
his philosophical and theological studies. Bishop Heiss or-
dained him Subdeacon and Deacon, at St. Francis, and on
June 29, 1887, Bishop Dwenger ordained him priest, in the
Cathedral at Fort Wayne. He suppHed the place of the pastor
at St. Paul's, Fort Wayne, for six weeks, was two weeks at
Chesterton, and eight weeks at Lagro. At the end of October,
he was appointed pastor at Goshen, with Millersburg and Lig-
onier as missions, attending also the Elkhart County Poor
House. Having labored here until July 13, 1889, he was given
■a vacation. On June 2, 1890, he was made assistant to Rev.
J. H. Hueser D. D., at Huntington, where he remained until
July 19, 1895, when he was made pastor at Klaasville, with
Lowell for a mission. From August to September 1898, he
was pastor at Grass Creek, with Lucerne for a mission. Bishop
Rademacher transferred him to Wanatah, on September 8,
1898, giving him charge also of the missions Schimmels, Walk-
erton, and Hamlet. On November 21, 1906, Bishop Alerding
gave him charge of St. John's Church, at St, John, in Lake
county.

THE REV. PETER A. BUDNIK.

He was born July 15, 1876, at Ludom, Archdiocese of
Posen, Germany. He studied the classics, philosophy and one
year of theology, in SS. Cyrill and Methodius' Seminary, at
Detroit, Michigan, and the two last years of theology, in Mount
St. Mary's Seminary, at Cincinnati. He was ordained priest
by Bishop Alerding, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on June
21, 1901. He was the second resident pastor at Walkerton
and its missions, from July 18, 1901 to June 5, 1902. He was
pastor of St. Adalbert's Church, at Hammond, from June 5,
1902 till June 8, 1907. On the latter date he was transferred
to Otis.

86 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. ALEXANDER BUECHLER.

He was bom March 12, 1877, in Ottawa, Illinois, a son of
Philip and Anna (Moczygamba) Buechler. He received his
primary schooling at Otis, Indiana. He studied the classics at
St. Francis, Wisconsin, from 1890 to 1897, philosophy and
theology in St. John's University, Minnesota, and Mount St.
Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, and was ordained priest on July
3, 1900, in the Josephinum at Columbus, Ohio, by His Emi-
nence Cardinal Martinelli. His appointments were: Assistant
at St. Stanislaus' Church, Michigan City; pastor pro tem. of
Goshen; pastor of Terre Coupee, and its mission Rolling
Prairie, since May 1, 1901.

THE REV. MICHAEL J. BYRNE.

He was born in Hamilton, Ohio, October 18, 1858. He
studied the classics at Niagara University, philosophy, at St.
Sulpice's Seminary, Baltimore, theology, at St. Vincent's,
Pennsylvania, and was ordained priest by Bishop Dwenger, at
Fort Wayne, June 29, 1888. His appointments were: residing
at the Cathedral, he attended Leo and St. Michael's, in Allen
county, from 1888 till 1889; assistant at the Cathedral, Fort
Wayne, from 1889 to 1891; pastor ot East Chicago, from Jan-
uary 26, 1891 till 1893; pastor of Whiting, from 1893 to August
1898; assistant at the Cathedral, from August 15, 1898 to May
1, 1899; pastor of Union City, from May 1, 1899 to May 16,
1901; pastor of St. Ann's Church, Lafayette, since May 16,
1901. He is a member of the Diocesan Building Committee.

THE REV. MATTHEW ELEVART CAMPION.

He was born in Kilkenny, Ireland, November 9, 1844.
His parents emigrated to this country, and after spending a
few years in Canada, they settled in Michigan City, arriving
there on Christmas eve of 1850. He made his classical studies
at the University of Notre Dame; his theology at St. Francis'

The Clergy, Continued. 87

Seminary, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 'He was ordained priest by
Bishop Luers, on January 14, 1868, in the Cathedral at Fort
Wayne. His first appointment was that of assistant to Rev.
B. J. Force at Logansport, from January 24, till April 9, 1868.
Upon the death of Father Force, he was pastor pro tem. of
St. Vincent de Paul's Church, until August 9, 1868, attending
also the missions, Kewanna and Lucerne. From August 9,
1868 to October 1, 1873, he was pastor of St. Patrick's Church
at Lagro. From here he attended to Wabash as a station till
1871. He was transferred to the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, as
assistant from October 1, 1873 to April 4, 1875, when he was
appointed pastor of St. Joseph's Church at Delphi, where he
remained only one month. Upon the death of Rev. George A.
Hamilton at Lafayette, he succeeded him as pastor of St.
Mary's Church, on May 9, 1875. On account of ill health he
resigned this charge and in June 1880, he took charge of St.
Peter's parish at Laporte. On June 9, 1883, he was transferred
to the pastorate of St. Vincent de Paul's Church at Logansport.
Father Campion was the dean of the Logansport district, a
Diocesan Consul tor and a Synodal Examiner. In 1887, he
was named irremovable rector and for fourteen years held the
office of secretary of the Clerical Benevolent Association of the
diocese. He died at Logansport, on December 18, 1899; his
remains rest in the cemetery at Logansport.

THE REV. PETER ANTHONY CAPEDER, C. PP. S.

He was born in Lumberein, diocese of Chur, Switzerland,
on January 1, 1817. Having been ordained priest on May 3,
1843, he emigrated to America in 1844. From 1869 to 1871,
he was the pastor of Holy Trinity Church, in Jay county.

THE REV. FRANCIS ANTHONY CARIUS.

He was born at Altenstadt, diocese of Strassburg, Ger-
many, on December 31, 1821. He came to America in April
1845, and was ordained priest by Bishop de la Hailandiere, in
Vincennes, on March 11, 1846. His name appears on the

88 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

baptismal records of the Cathedral, at Fort Wayne, on April
12 and June 17, 1846, and May 7, 1847. Up to the year 1851,
he resided at St. John, Lake county, paying Lottaville monthly
visits. From 1852 to 1855, he was the pastor of St. Vincent's
Church, Logansport, attending also to Peru, and visiting the
Catholics at Monterev every three months, celebrating Mass in
private houses. He seems to have been the first priest to visit
the Catholics at Kewanna and Lucerne, as early as 1855. He
later became a priest of the Leavenworth, Kansas, diocese and
died the chaplain in the Ursuline Convent at St. Louis.

THE REV. J. C. CARRIER, C. S. C.

He was born at Vernes, France, July 14, 1833. He was
one of the pastors of St. Joseph's Church at South Bend, at-
tending the same from Notre Dame, prior to 1869. During
the absence of Father Carroll at New Orleans, some time
between 1859 and 1864, and for several months after Father
Carroll's departure, he was the pastor of St. Patrick's Church
at South Bend. He was probably the first priest to preach to
the German Catholics at South Bend in their mother tongue,
while they were still worshipping at St. Patrick's Church. He
died in Canada, on November 12, 1904.

THE REV. THOMAS CARROLL, C. S. C.

He was born in Andagh, Ireland, August 17, 1836; entered
the Congregation of the Holy Cross, June 30, 1857. He was
the organizer and first pastor of St. Patrick's Church, at South
Bend, of which he took charge in 1858. The year following
he erected a small brick church; but the few Irish families
making up his parish being too poor to pay for it, he went to
New Orleans and there collected enough money to pay the
debt. Throughout his pastorate he resided at Notre Dame.
In 1864, he went to Oil City, Pennsylvania, where he became
the pastor of St. Joseph's Church and where he died in 1896.
The Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, at Notre Dame, owes its
existence to Father Carroll.

The Clergy, Continued. 89

THE REV. JOHN B. CHASSE.

He was born at Rennes, in the Province of Brittany,
France, on January 6, 1816. Having emigrated to this country,
he was ordained priest, by Bishop de la Hailandiere, on Decem-
ber 19, 1840. His name appears on the baptismal records of
the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on October 10, 1842. He died
September 1, 1879, chaplain at St. Mary-of-the-Woods, where
he is buried.

r THE REV. JOHN W. CLARK, C. S. C.

He was born in Ireland, November 1, 1843, was ordained
priest June 29, 1866. After spending a number of years as
missionary, in California and Nevada, he joined the Congrega-
tion of the Holy Cross, after which he taught the classics in
St. Lawrence's College, Canada. He was transferred to the
American Province, and in 1893, was appointed pastor of St.
Patrick's Church, South Bend, in which capacity he continued
until the time of his death, March 16, 1899.

THE REV. MICHAEL J. CLARK.

He was ordained priest, February 28, 1841, by Bishop
de la Hailandiere. His name appears on the baptismal records
of the Cathedral at Fort Wayne on August 13, 1841, June 1st,
and July 1842. He adds to his signature "Pastore absente."
For a time in 1842, he was the resident pastor of Peru. In
1843, he was made the first resident pastor at Lafayette, his
parish extending over Tippecanoe, Fountain, Warren, Madison,
Montgomery, Putnam, Benton, Carroll and White counties.
He remained at Lafayette until 1857. He died at Bloomington,
Illinois, pastor of a congregation at that place.

THE REV. FRANCIS LOUIS COINTET, C. S. C.

He was born at La Roe, France, February 26, 1816; re-
ceived the habit, August 19, 1843; professed, September 5,

90 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

1846. He attended St. John, from April 1850 till January 1,
1851. From January 1853 to October 1854, he visited Mich-
igan City. He died September 19, 1854, and is buried at
Notre Dame.

THE REV. JAMES F. CONNELLY.

He was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on May 24, 1878.
He studied the classics at St. Joseph's College, near Rensse-
laer. He made his philosophical and theological course at
Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati. He was ordained
priest by Bishop Alerding, in the Cathedral, Fort Wayne, on
May 24, 1902. His first appointment was that of assistant at
St. Bridget's Church, Logansport, until July 1, 1905, when he
was made pastor of Lebanon and its missions.

THE REV. THOMAS M. CONROY.

He was born at Richmond, Indiana, on March 8, 1877.
He made his classical studies in St. Joseph's College, near
Rensselaer. He studied philosophy and theology in Mount St.
Mary's Seminary, at Cincinnati. He was ordained priest by
Bishop Alerding, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on June 21,
1901. His appointments were: Pastor of Portland and Mis-
sions July 1, 1901 -June 1, 1902; assistant at Anderson from
June 8, 1902; pastor at Monroeville since August 21, 1904.

THE REV. PETER P. COONEY, C. S. C.

He was born in County Roscommon, Ireland, in 1822
and was educated at Notre Dame University, and at St. Mary's
Seminary, Baltimore. Having been ordained priest, in July
1859, he was appointed Vice-president of St. Mary's of the
Lake, Chicago, Illinois. On October 4, 1861, he received his
commission of chaplain to the 35th regiment, Indiana Volun-
teers. At the close of the war, he came to St. Patrick's Church
at South Bend, and continued as its pastor, until March 12,

The Clergy, Continued. 91

1871. After this he gave missions in various parts of the
country. He died at Notre Dame, May 7, 1905.

THE RF,V. WILLIAM CORBY, C. S. C.

He was born at Detroit, Michigan, October 2, 1833; re-
ceived the habit, September 9, 1857; profession, September 10,
1858; ordained priest December 25, 1860, by Bishop Luers.
He was one of the pastors of St. Joseph's Church, at South
Bend, attending the same from Notre Dame, prior to 1869.
In the beginning of 1865, he had charge of St. Patrick's Church,
at South Bend, for three or four months. He died December
28, 1897, and is buried at Notre Dame.

THE REV. JOHN A. CORCORAN.

He visited Peru during the summer of 1835. He died in
Peru and was buried on the north banks of the Wabash river,
between the river and the canal; later his remains were re-
moved to the Reyburn cemetery, at the instance of William
B. McGregor, the first white resident on the present site of
Peru; and later still, in 1887, fifty-two years after his death,
was reinterred, in St. Charles' Cemetery, on the lot of Michael
Cannon.

THE REV. JOHN B. CRAWLEY.

He was born in 1828 and ordained priest in 1864. He
was the pastor at Anderson, from 1866 till August 1884; pastor
of St. Peter's Church, Laporte, from the fall of 1884 till Decem-
ber 19, 1893, the date of his death. His remains rest in the
cemetery at Notre Dame.

THE REV. PATRICK J. CRAWLEY.

He was born in Castlerea, County Roscommon, Ireland,
on December 19, 1869. He studied the classics in his native

92 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

place, came to America and entered Notre Dame University,
in November, 1890, Mount St. Mary's Seminary in September
1894, and was ordained priest by Bishop Rademacher, in Fort
Wayne, on June 24, 1897. He was assistant priest at St.
Patrick's Church, Fort Wayne, until June 1, 1899; pastor at
Lebanon from June 1, 1899 till June 30, 1905; assistant at
Marion, from July 1, 1905 till April 14, 1906, since which time
he has been the pastor of Marion.

THE REV. PATRICK JOSEPH CROSSON.

He was born in Carregallen, Ireland, on December 1, 1852.
He received his elementary education in his native town. His
classical course was made from 1868 to 1873 in private school,
and in St. Mary's Seminary at Moyne, County Longford. In
September, 1873, he entered the Missionary College of All
Hallows, in Dublin, where he completed his course of phi-
losophy. Having been admitted to the diocese of Fort Wayne,
he emigrated to the United States in August, 1875, and in
September, of the same year, he began the study of theology
in Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, and completed the
same in St. Francis' Seminary, Milwaukee. He was ordained
priest, by Bishop Dwenger, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne,
on April 25, 1878. He was the assistant at St. Mary's Church,
Lafayette, during five months, after which he was pastor at
Lebanon for two and a half months, and in November of the
same year, was appointed pastor of St. Anne's Church, in
Fulton county, better known as Grass Creek. From August
15, 1880 till December 31, 1881, he was again assistant at St.
Mary's Church, at Lafayette. On January 1, 1882 till June,
1882, he was given charge of Fowler and St. Bridget's, in
Benton county (Barrydale), and six months later took up his
residence at Oxford, with St. Bridget's for a mission. From
September 1894 till Ascension day 1898, he was pastor of St.
Bernard's Church, at Crawfordsville. He was pastor at
Wabash, from 1898 till February 1, 1900, when he was made
irremovable rector of St. Vincent de Paul's Church at Logans-
port, and where he remains at the present time.

The Clergy, Continued. 93

THE REV. VALENTINE CZYZEWSKI, C. S. C.

He was born February 14, 1846, in the village of Talkuny,
in the parish of Miroslaw, Russian Poland, He emigrated to
America in April 1869, and in 1872 entered the Congregation
of the Holy Cross. He was ordained priest on December 28,
1876, and was appointed pastor of St. Hedwig's Church, at
South Bend, on January 1, 1877, which position he continues
to hold at the present time. He was the first resident Polish
pastor at South Bend, and Terre Coupee and Rolling Prairie,
at the time, were missions attended from St. Hedwig's. Father
Czyzewski also organized St. Casimir's and St. Stanislaus'
Parishes.

k

THE REV. FREDERICK J. DANDURAND.

He was born at Kankakee, Illinois, on April 30, 1870.
He studied at St. Viateur's College, Bourbonnais, Illinois. He
was ordained priest by Bishop Rademacher at Fort Wayne,
on June 28, 1895. He was assistant at St. Mary's Church,
Lafayette, from July 1895 till February 27, 1897. He was
assistant at St. Patrick's Church, at Fort Wayne, from Feb-
ruary 27, 1897 till July 15, of the same year. He was assistant
at the Cathedral, from July 15, 1897 till September 1898. He
was pastor of Auburn, from September 1898 till July 23, 1900.
He was pastor of Monroeville, from August 23, 1900 till August
1904. He was compelled to resign on account of sickness, and
died at his native town, in Illinois, on February 26, 1905.

THE REV. SAMUEL DAUGHERTY, C. S. C.

He was born at Glasgow, Scotland, May 31, 1839; received
the habit, being a priest, on August 7, 1865. He was one of
the pastors of St. Joseph's Church at South Bend, attending
the same from Notre Dame, prior to 1869.

THE REV. JOHN F. DeGROOTE, C. S. C.

He was born in Mishawaka, Indiana, August 27, 1866.
At the age of fourteen he entered the University of Notre

94 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Dame, and five years later joined the Congregation of the Holy
Cross. For two years, previous to his ordination, he was
director of St. Joseph's Hall, Notre Dame. He was ordained
priest by Bishop Rademacher, at Notre Dame, on July 21,
1893. The offices he filled successively were: Prefect of dis-
cipline and teacher in St. Edward's College, Austin, Texas,
and in Holy Cross, New Orleans, and assistant priest at the
Sacred Heart Church, New Orleans, for two years until March
29, 1899, when he was appointed pastor of St. Patrick's Church
at South Bend, which appointment continues to the present
time.

THE REV. FRANCIS X. DEIMEL.

He was born at Brilon, diocese of Paderborn, on Novem-
ber 25, 1846. Having emigrated to America in June 1868, he
was ordained priest, on December 20, 1869 at St. Louis, Mis-
souri. In 1873, he transferred to the diocese of Fort Wayne,
taking charge of Hanover Centre, from June 25th, of the same
year till August 10, 1877. From here he also attended Klaas-
ville as a mission. He was pastor of Schererville, from August
1877 to May 1881. His health failing him, he left for St.
Louis. He died in the Alexian Hospital, at St. Louis, on Novem-
ber 11, 1881. His remains were brought to Schererville for
burial.

THE REV. FRANCIS DEIPENBROCK.

He was a native of Westphalia, Germany, born on October
25, 1825. When still a youth, he came to America. Having
finished his theological studies at Mount St. Mary's Seminary,
at Cincinnati, he was ordained priest. He was the second
resident pastor of Avilla, having charge from 1862 to 1863.
He died in Ottawa on September 4, 1868. He attended Ege
as a mission from Avilla.

THE REV. JOSEPH F. DELANEY.

He was born on January 15, 1860, at Thompsonville,
Connecticut. He was one of six children born to John and

The Clergy, Continued, 95

Mary Delaney. His father was a native of Roscrea, County
Tipperary, and his mother, of the parish of Den, County Cavin,
Ireland. His classical and philosophical courses were made at
the Niagara University, after which he entered St. Francis'
Seminary, Milwaukee. His health breaking down after one
year, he was sent to St. Vincent's Seminary, Latrobe, Penn-
sylvania, where he completed his theology. He was ordained
priest, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, by Bishop Dwenger,
on June 29, 1887. On July 17th, he received his appointment
as an assistant to Very Rev. J. H. Brammer, V. G., at the
Cathedral, until two years later he succeeded the Rev. T. M.
O'Leary, as pastor of St. Patrick's Church at Fort Wayne.
He was named irremovable rector by Bishop Alerding and is
a Diocesan Consultor.

THE REV. WILLIAM DEMERS, C. S. C

He was born at St. Nicholas, Canada East, January 10,
1820; received the habit in 1862; profession, August 25, 1865;
ordained priest in 1865. He was made the second resident
pastor of St. Joseph's Church at South Bend, in the fall of
1870 up to December 26, 1872; pastor of St. Vincent, Allen
county, in 1873; pastor of St. Louis' Church, Besancon, in
1875; pastor of St. Joseph's Church, South Bend, from Sep-
tember 1876 to September 1877. He died on December 22,
1896 and is buried at Notre Dame.

THE REV. JOHN DEMPSEY.

He was born in Croagh, diocese of Limerick, Ireland, on
March 21, 1845. He studied the classics in Limerick and
philosophy and theology in St. John's College, Waterford,
Ireland. Having emigrated to this country, he was ordained
priest in Fort Wayne, by Bishop Dwenger, on July 18, 1873.
His appointments were: Pastor of Grass Creek and Lucerne,
from August 1873 till January 1877; pastor of Fowler and St.
Bridget's (Barrydale), from April 19, 1878 till January 1, 1882;
pastor of Lebanon, from 1882 till September 1884; pastor of
St. Ann's Church, Lafayette, from September 1884 till August
1888; pastor of Valparaiso, from August 1888 till May 1898;

96 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

pastor of Crawfordsville, from May 1898 till April 4, 1906, on
which date he dropped dead at the altar of St. Bernard's
Church, in Crawfordsville.

THE REV. RUDOLPH J. DENK.

He was born in Germany, March 10, 1866, to Francis and
Mary (Neumeier) Denk; he spent six years at Landshut,
Germany, and four years at St. Vincent, Pennsylvania, in the
study of the classics and philosophy; three years at Mount
St. Mary's Seminary, at Cincinnati, Ohio, in the study of theol-
ogy, and was ordained priest, by Archbishop Elder, on June
14, 1891. He was the pastor of Kewanna and the mission,
Lucerne, from June till the fall of 1891; resident pastor of
Auburn, from November 1891 for eight months; assistant at
St. Mary's Church, Fort Wayne, from 1892 till May 1896,
when he was appointed the second resident pastor of Sheldon,
with Bluffton for a mission. He died as pastor of St. Aloysius'
Church, at Sheldon, in St. Joseph's Hospital, Fort Wayne, on
January 5, 1901, and was buried in the cemetery at Sheldon.

THE REV. MARTIN L. DENTINGER, C. PP. S.

He was born at Buffalo, New York, May 17, 1856; or-
dained priest at Cincinnati, Ohio, May 30, 1885. He attended
Portland as a mission on two Sundays of every month, from
November 1885 to March 1888. He was the pastor of Pulaski
from 1901 till October 1903.

THE REV. FRANCIS DESCHAMP.

He was the pastor of St. Vincent, Allen county, from
1856 to August 19, 1858, the date of his death. From here
he also attended Ege as a station. His remains rest beneath
the sanctuary of St. Vincent's Church.

THE REV. CHARLES DHE.

He was born May 6, 1863, at Nermelles, Diocese of Arras,
France. He made all his studies at Arras. He was ordained

The Clergy, Continued. 97

priest by Bishop Dennel of Arras, on July 10, 1887. His first
appointment was at St. Pol sur Vernoise, diocese of Arras. He
was next at New Iberia, Louisiana, Archdiocese of New Orleans.
He came to the diocese of Fort Wayne, in February 1894, and
was appointed pastor of Hartford City, with Montpelier for a
mission. He had charge also of Dunkirk as a mission until
March 1900. He was appointed pastor of St. Louis' Church,
at Besancon, on July 11, 1906.

THE REV. ANTHONY DICK, C. PP. S.

He was born at St. Stephen, Ohio, January 1, 1852; or-
dained priest at Cincinnati, Ohio, June 11, 1881. He was the
pastor of St. Augustine's Church, Rensselaer, from October
1888 till July 1891; pastor of Holy Trinity Church, in Jay
county, from 1898 till 1901 ; pastor of Pulaski, from November
24, 1903 till September 30, 1905.

THE REV. BERNARD DICKMANN, C. PP. S.

He was born at Minster, Ohio, October 3, 1839; ordained
priest at Minster, August 17, 1862. He was appointed pastor
of St. Augustine's Church, Rensselaer, in February 1897, but
on account of ill health he had to go South for a change of
climate.

THE REV. JOHN R. DINNEN.

He was born in Shelburne, Vermont, on June 19, 1843.
In 1857 the family removed to Chicago, Illinois, where he
attended the Kinsey School and Sloane's Commercial College.
In 1861 he entered the University of Notre Dame, and became
assistant professor in book-keeping and penmanship, and one
year later, was made secretary of the University. He remained
at the University until 1868, when Bishop Duggan of Chicago,
sent him to St. Francis' Seminary, Wisconsin, to complete his
course in theology. Bishop Luers adopted him for the diocese
of Fort Wayne, and he was ordained priest by Bishop Luers,
in St. Patrick's Church, Chicago, on July 22, 1869. On August
18th, of the same year, he was made assistant to Rev. George

98 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

A. Hamilton, pastor of St. Mary's Church, Lafayette. In April
1870, he received the appointment of pastor of Oxford and all
the missions in Benton, Boone and part of White counties.
From October 18, 1875 till May 18, 1878, he was assistant in
the Cathedral, at Fort Wayne. He was pastor of St. Ber-
nard's Church at Crawfordsville for more than sixteen years.
Here he celebrated his Silver Sacerdotal Jubilee, in July 1894.
On August 4, 1894, he was named irremovable rector of St.
Mary's Church, at Lafayette, by Bishop Rademacher. Father
Dinnen is a Diocesan Consultor, dean of the Lafayette district,
and a member of the Diocesan School Board.

THE REV. ROBERT STEPHEN AMBROSE DOWD, C.PP.S.

He was born at Clooncraif, County Roscommon, Parish
Aughrim, Ireland, September 11, 1870; entered the Congre-
gation of the Most Precious Blood, August 20, 1891, at Rhoner-
ville, California; ordained priest at Carthagena, Ohio, June 23,
1904, by Archbishop Moeller. Pastor of St. Vincent's Church,
St. Vincent, Allen county, since January 1, 1907.

THE REV. WILLIAM DOYLE.

He was born twelve miles south of Pittsburg, Pennsyl-
vania, on August 31, 1820. He was ordained priest by Bishop
Bazin, on December 18, 1847. He attended Peru and Kokomo
in 1851 and 1852. He was pastor of St. Vincent de Paul's
Church, at Logansport, from 1855 to 1857, visiting the missions
Pulaski and Indian Creek, and the stations now termed Ke-
wanna and Lucerne. He attended Delphi while a station, about
the year 1861. He died in St. Vincent's Infirmary, at Indian-
apolis, on August 7, 1883.

THE REV. DOMINIC DUEHMIG.

He was born November 9, 1842, in Ebenheid, Baden,
Germany. He was the eleventh of a family of twelve children.
He attended the schools of his native village until 1854. His
classical studies were made at Wertheim, on the Main, in July
1862. Two years of his theological studies were made at the

I The Clergy, Continued. 99

University of Freiburg and two years more at the University
of Louvain. He was ordained priest by the Bishop of Liege,
Belgium on August 5, 1866. He left his native country on
December 6, and arrived in New York on the 22nd, of the
same month, reaching Fort Wayne on the 24th, in 1866. His
first appointment was at Huntington for a short time only.
He was made assistant priest at Avilla, on February 22, 1867
and was duly installed as pastor of Avilla, on May 12th, of the
same year. The places which he attended, as missions of
Avilla, were Kendallville, Ligonier, Millersburg, Waterloo,
Summit, Ege, Albion, Bremen, Auburn, Angola, Lagrange,
Goshen, Leo, Rome City and Butler. Father Duehmig's life
was full of hardships and personal sacrifices. Travelling from
place to place, sleeping in log houses, celebrating Mass in rail-
road shanties and humble cabin homes, preaching in court
houses and public halls, dispelling prejudice and sowing the
good seed, he certainly was a pioneer priest, worthy of the
highest love and esteem. As far as known. Father Duehmig
offered the first Mass ever said in Lagrange county, in the
little log house, the home of Patrick Foley, in 1871. In Steuben
county, he was want to celebrate Mass repeatedly, in the little
railroad shanty belonging to Eugene Moriarity, as far back as
1869. Father Duehmig, after an illness of a year or more,
departed this life in the Kneipp Sanitarium at Rome City, on
June 3, 1905. His life and labors will be ever held in grateful
remembrance. His remains rest just back of the Mortuary
Chapel in the Cemetery of Avilla, the statue of the Sacred
Heart looking down upon his grave.

THE REV. JAMES H. DURHAM.

He was born at Middletown, New York, on November 26,
1874. He made his classical studies at St. Benedict's College,
Atchison, Kansas. His philosophical and theological course
was begun and completed at Mount St. Mary's Seminary,
Cedar Point, Ohio. He received tonsure on June 14, 1904;
Minor Orders on June 21, 1906; Subdeaconship on March 15th,
and Deaconship on March 16, 1907, all at the Seminary. He
was ordained priest by Bishop Alerding, in the Cathedral at

100 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Fort Wayne, on May 22, 1907. His first appointment was
that of assistant at St. Patrick's Church, Fort Wayne, on
June 8, 1907.

THE REV. JOHN P. DURHAM.

He was born at Middletown, New York, on September 22,
1867. He made his studies at St. Benedict's College, Atchison,
Kansas, at the Seminary of Our Lady of the Angels, at Niagara,
and Mount St. Mary's Seminary, at Cincinnati. He was or-
dained priest at Cincinnati, by Archbishop Elder, on June 17,
1897. He was assistant at the Cathedral of Fort Wayne, from
June 17, 1897 until March 7, 1901. He was pastor of St.
Mary's Church, at Huntington until May 16, 1901, when he
received his present appointment, that of pastor of St. Mary's
Church, Union City.

THE REV. LAWRENCE A. EBERLE.

He was born at Peru, Indiana, on March 13, 1875. He
studied the classics at St. Viateur's College, Kankakee, Illinois,
and at St. Joseph's College, near Rensselaer, Indiana. He made
his philosophical and theological studies at Mount St. Mary's
Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio. He was ordained priest by Bishop
Alerding, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on May 24, 1902.
His appointments were: Assistant at St. Joseph's Church,
Mishawaka; assistant at Decatur, from July 1904, with Port-
land for a mission; pastor of Portland and Geneva, since July
3, 1905.

THE REV. FRANCIS X. EGE.

He was born in Wolpertswende, diocese of Rottenburg,
Germany, on January 6, 1849. He made his classical studies
with the Jesuits in Feldkirch, of his native country. His phil-
osophical and theological studies were had in St, Francis'
Seminary, Wisconsin. He was ordained priest by Bishop

The Clergy, Continued. lOl

Dwenger, at Fort Wayne, on June 10, '1876. His appointments
were: Pastor of St. Anthony's, Benton county, from June
1876 to October 1878; pastor at Ege, from October 1878 to
November 1897; on account of sickness, he had no charge for
a year; pastor of Klaasville, since August 13, 1898.

THE REV. JOS. A. THOMAS EISENRING, C. PP. S.

He was born at Mosmang, St. Gall, Switzerland, on Novem-
ber 1, 1844. He attended the parochial school at Kirchberg
and St. George's College near St. Gallen. Having emigrated
to America, he aflfiliated himself with the Fathers of the Most
Precious Blood, with whom he made his theological studies.
He was ordained priest by Archbishop Purcell, on August 15,
1873. Having had charge of the parishes of Celina and of
New Riegel, both in Ohio, until 1878, he was sent to Europe,
where he remained four vears in charge of the parish and the
convent of the Sisters in Schellenberg. He was recalled to
America and was given charge of the parishes, at Coldwater
and Philothea, Ohio. In the year 1883, he labored at Wina-
mac, diocese of Fort Wayne, attending also Schimmels, North
Judson, Jeflferson and Royal Centre. Having held many re-
sponsible positions and having been instrumental in the erec-
tion of several churches, he finally became chaplain of the St.
Joseph's Hospital at Fort Wayne, conducted by the Poor
Handmaids of Jesus Christ, on Decem.ber 3, 1889. In connec-
tion with the hospital work, the Poor Handmaids have here
their Provincial Mother-house, of which Father Thomas, as he
is familiarly known, is the spiritual director.

THE RE\'. ANTHONY M. FLEERING.

He was born in Eppe, Westphalia, Germany, March 18,
1853. He was the oldest of seven children born to Gerhard
and Mary Ann (Esseling) Ellering. The family emigrated to
the United States, in September 1868, and settled in Stearns
county, Minnesota, where his parents died, his mother in 1884,
and his father in 1885. He received his elemientarv education

102 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

in his native city. From 1874 to 1878, he attended the Bene-
dictine University at Collegeville, Minnesota, for his classical
course. His studies in philosophy were made in Calvary Col-
lege, Wisconsin, from 1878 to 1880, and his theological studies
in St. Francis' Seminary, Milwaukee. He was ordained priest
by Bishop Dwenger, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on June
11, 1884. His first appointment was that of assistant to Rev.
Julius Becks, at Michigan City, who at the time was in feeble
health. He was made pastor of Warsaw and of the missions
Pierceton and Bourbon until May 1, 1886, when he received
his present appointment, pastor of St. Paul of the Cross Church
at Columbia City, and of the Sacred Heart Church at Warsaw,
as a mission.

THE REV. EDWARD M. FALLER.

He was born January 3, 1824, in Barr, Province of Alsace.
In his sixteenth year, he emigrated to the United States, land-
ing in New Orleans, on April 1 1, 1840. He was ordained priest,
on July 5, 1846, by Bishop de la Hailandiere of Vincennes.
He first had charge of Lanesville, Indiana, but on October 12th,
of the same year, he was transferred to Fort Wayne, and for
two years was assistant priest to Father Benoit at St. Augus-
tine's Church. He organized St. Mary's Congregation at Fort
Wayne in 1848, and from here also attended Avilla and .its
neighboring missions. While at Fort Wayne, he also attended
to Decatur, as early as 1846, and Indian Creek, in 1851. When
the diocese of Fort Wayne was established, in 1857, he re-
turned to the diocese of Vincennes, being made the pastor of
St. Mary's Church at New Albany. On July 5, 1906, he had
been priest sixty years, the occasion was duly commemorated.
He is still living and in active service.

THE REV. MICHAEL PHILIP FALLIZE, C. S. C.

He was born at Harlingen, Luxemburg, February 24,
1855; came to America September 2, 1874; ordained priest
December 31, 1878; pastor of St. Joseph's Church, South
Bend, from August 15, 1880 till the fall of 1888. He was the

The Clergy, Continued. 103

president of the State Total Abstinence Union. Upon his
departure from South Bend, he was chosen the Proto-Vicarius-
Notarius of the missionary band, which was then sent to East
Bengal, India, and he is still working there, as the Vicar Gen-
eral of the diocese of Dacca.

THE REV. GREGORY FANGMANN, O. F. M.

He was born July 16, 1846; entered the Order, September
17, 1863; ordained priest. May 22, 1869; assistant at St.
Boniface's Church, Lafayette, from September 1870 to August
1872.

THE REV. FRANCIS P. FAUST.

He is the son of Francis and Catherine (Schulz) Faust,
born in Fort Wayne, on February 19, 1868. He studied the
classics at Mount Calvary, Wisconsin, philosophy and theology
at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio, and was
ordained priest, by Archbishop Elder, in Cincinnati, on June
22, 1892. His appointments were: Pastor of Auburn and
Albion, from July 1892 to December 1895; assistant at SS.
Peter and Paul's Church, Huntington, from December 1895 to
November 1897; pastor at Ege, since November 1897.

THE REV. NORBERT FELDEN.

He was born at Marytown, Fond du Lac county, Wis-
consin, on the 9th day of April, 1880. When about a year old
his parents moved to St. Francis, Wisconsin, where is located,
St. Francis' Seminary, the Alma Mater of 1600 priests. Here
the young Felden imbibed the spirit of the priesthood. He
remained at this institution until 1901 when, for climatic
reasons, he went to St. Meinrad's Seminary in Spencer county,
Indiana. Here he completed his theological course in 1905.
On the 17th of June, he was ordained priest by Bishop Alerding,
in the Cathedral of Fort Wayne. He was at once assigned to
St. Peter's Church, at Fort Wayne, as the assistant.

104 The Diocese of Fort IVayne.

THE REV. AGNELLUS FISCHER, O. F. M.

He was born January 13, 1848; entered the Order, August
12, 1866; ordained priest, September 8, 1870; came to America
in October, 1875; was pastor at St. Boniface's Church, Lafay-
ette, from January 1878 to August 1882; returned to Europe
in 1882.

THE REV. JAMES B. FITZPATRICK.

He was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on September 17,
1876. He studied the classics in St. Joseph's College, near
Rensselaer, philosophy and theology in Mount St. Mary's
Seminary, at Cincinnati, Ohio. He was ordained priest by
Bishop Alerding, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on June 21,
1901. He was made assistant at the Cathedral and remained
until February 1903, when he was appointed pastor of St.
John's Church at Goshen.

THE REV. JOSEPH FLACH.

He was born in Haslach, Baden, Archdiocese of Freiburg,
Germany, on June 9, 1850. He studied the classics in Con-
stance, Baden, philosophy and theology in Freiburg, and St.
Peter's, in the same diocese. He was ordained priest by
Bishop Lothar von Kuebbel, in St. Peter's Seminary, on July
25, 1876. After his ordination he came to Fort Wayne and
was the chaplain of the Sisters of St. Francis at Avilla, from
October 1876 until the spring of 1878. He was pastor of St.
Joseph's Church, at Dyer, from March 5, 1878 to August 3,
1883, when the Archbishop of Freiburg recalled him. But he
returned to Fort Wayne the following year and spent a short
time at St. Anthony's, in Benton county, assistant at Michigan
City, and at Hanover Centre, Lake county, when he was ap-
pointed pastor of Lottaville (Turkey Creek), and Hobart, until
July 29, 1888. Since that time he has been the pastor of St.
Joseph's Church, at Dyer.

I

The Clergy, Continued. 105

THE REV. GEORGE FLEISCH. C. PP. S.

He was born at Goetzis, Vorarlberg, Brixen, November 1,
1846; came to America, November 30, 1868; ordained priest
at Cincinnati, Ohio, June 30, 1874. He was pastor of Holy
Trinity Church, in Jay county, from 1876 till 1877, and again,
from 1892 till 1898. He attended Portland regularly on two
Sundays of every month, from 1876 till January 1878. He
was the first resident pastor of Monterey, from September
1880 till January 1886. He visited North Judson in 1881.

THE REV. JOHN FLYNN.

He was the first resident pastor of Chesterton, from Sep-
tember 1868 till August 1, 1870, when he died at the age of
twenty-eight years. His remains rest in the parish cemetery
at Chesterton.

THE REV. THOMAS FLYNN, C. S. C.

He was born at Limerick, Ireland, in 1825; received the
habit, November 21st, 1852; profession, August 15th, 1853.
He attended Michigan City, from March 1855 to December
1856. He died, September 23, 1886, and is buried at Notre
Dame.

THE REV. BERNARD JOSEPH FORCE.

He was born at Vertle, Germany, March 17, 1828; received
the habit of the Congregation of the Floly Cross, July 13, 1849;
profession, August 15, 1850; ordained priest by Bishop Van
de Velde, on December 11, 1850, in the Church of the Holy
Name, Chicago, Illinois. He attended St. John, from the be-
ginning of 1851 till the beginning of 1857. He was the resi-
dent pastor at Laporte succeeding Father Wallace. His name
appears on the church records at Michigan City, from January
1853 to October 1854. He was the first resident pastor at
Peru, from April 15, 1860 till 1864, visiting Kokomo and

106 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Tipton. He was pastor of St. Vincent's Church, Logansport,
from January 1864 till April 13, 1868, when he died at the age
of forty years. While pastor at Logansport, he attended the
missions Kewanna and Lucerne and, from 1864 to 1866, the
missions Pulaski and Indian Creek. His remains rest in the
cemetery at Fort Wayne.

)

THE REV. JOHN HERMAN FORCE.

He was the pastor of St. Paul's Church, at Valparaiso,
when he died, April 4, 1859, at the age of thirty-eight years
and four months. From 1858 to 1859 he also attended Hobart
as a mission. His remains rest in the cemetery at Fort Wayne.

THE REV. MICHAEL J. FORD.

The son of Thomas and Catherine (Delehanty) Ford,
native of County Clare, Ireland, was born in Dayton, Ohio,
February 9, 1871. In the winter of 1873, the family, con-
sisting of five sons and three daughters, settled on a farm in
Wells county, Indiana. He received his education at the home
school and the Indiana Normal School, at Valparaiso, after
which he taught a school in Wells county for two terms, and
then entered the State Normal School, at Terre Haute, where
he remained two years. He was a parishoner of St. John's
Church, Montpelier, Indiana, a mission attended from Muncie.
In September 1893, he entered St. Viateur's College, Bourbon-
nais, Illinois, where he made his classical and philosophical
studies. In 1896, he visited England, Ireland, France, Bel-
gium and Spain. In the fall of 1897, he entered Mount St.
Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio, where he completed his
course in theology. He was ordained priest by his Excellency,
the Most Rev. S. Martinelli, Apostolic Delegate, in the Joseph-
inum at Columbus, Ohio, on July 3, 1900. His first appoint-
ment was that of assistant to Rev. B. Kroeger, pastor of St.
Bridget's Church, Logansport, where he remained for two
years. On May 24, 1902, he was appointed pastor of St. Ann's
Church, near Grass Creek and of Lucerne, a mission. On Sep-

The Clergy, Continued. 107

tember 1, 1904, he was appointed assistant priest at Anderson,
with his residence at St. John's Hospital. He remained there
till January 18, 1906, when he took charge of St. Bridget's
Church, Barrydale, and the mission, Otterbein.

THE REV. PETER J. FRANCISCUS, C. S. C.

He was born at Luxemburg, January 26, 1850; received
the habit, June 21, 1873; profession, August 15, 1874; ordained
priest, October 28, 1876. . He was the pastor at St. Vincent,
Allen county, in the year 1888. At present he is pastor of
Sacred Heart Church at New Orleans.

r

THE REV. JOHN CLAUDIUS FRANCOIS.

His name appears on the baptismal records of the Cathe-
dral at Fort Wayne, in January, February, May, June, July
and August, 1836 and again in June 1839. He was pastor of
St. Vincent de Paul's Church at Logansport, from 1838 to 1841,
also attending Lafayette, about the year 1840. He died at
Lafourche, Louisiana, July 20, 1849.

THE REV. PETER FRANZEN.

He was the first resident pastor of St. Martin's Church at
Schimmels, from October 1878 to April 1881. He was pastor
of St. Francis Xavier's Church, at Waterloo when he died, on
May 11, 1883, at the age of thirty-six years and five months.
His remains rest in the cemetery at Fort Wayne.

THE REV. JULIUS FRERE, C. S. C.

He was born at St. Germain, France, September 5. 1820;
received the habit, August 24, 1860; profession, in 1866. He
was the first resident pastor of St. Joseph's Church at South
Bend, from July 1, 1869 till the fall of 1870; pastor at St.
Vincent, Allen county, from 1870 to 1873. He died May 2,
1892 and is buried at Notre Dame,

108 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. JOHN FRERICKS, C. PP. S.

He was born at Elbergen, diocese of Osnabrueck, Ge -
many, September 20, 1838; came to America, August 24, 1866;
ordained priest at Cincinnati, Ohio, June 24, 1876. He was
pastor of Pulaski in 1877 and again, from 1881 until 1889.
From here he attended Schimmels, from December 1881 to
April 1885 and also visited North Judson.

THE REV. ERHARD FRITZ, C. PP. S.

He was born at Buehlerthal, Archdiocese of Freiburg,
Germany, January 4, 1851; came to America, September 8,
1873; ordained priest at Cincinnati, Ohio, May 30, 1885. He
was the resident pastor at Monterey, from January 1886 till
July 1888. He was pastor of Pulaski, from 1897 till June
1901.

THE REV. FREDERICK FUCHS.

He was a native of Munster, Westpha ia, Germany. He
came to Huntington from Cincinnati, Ohio. He was pastor
of SS. Peter and Paul's Church, at Huntington for five years.
Owing to ill health he was transferred to Klaasville, where he
died on October 1863, at the age of thirty eight years. His
remains rest in the cemetery at Klaasville.

THE REV. SEBASTIAN GANTHER, C PP. S.

He was born at Unter-Muensterthal, diocese of Freiburg,
Germany, August 20, 1821; came to this country. May 12,
1847; ordained priest at Peru, Ohio, June 5, 1849. He was
pastor of St. Mary's Church, Decatur, from June 1857 till
May 1858.

I

THE REV. CHARLES A. GANZER.

He was born October 29, 1857, in St. Mary's, Elk county,
Pennsylvania, in the diocese of Erie. He made all his studies
at St. Francis' Seminary, Milwaukee, and was ordained priest
by Bishop Dwenger, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on April

The Clergy, Continued. 109

19, 1881. He was assistant at St. Mary's Church, Fort Wayne,
for eight months. He was pastor of Klaasville and Lowell,
from January 1, 1882 till April 27, 1891. He was pastor of
St. Joseph's Church, Kentland, from September 1'891 to the
day of his death, which occurred on December 10, 1902.

THE REV WILLIAM GAUSEPOHL, O. F. M.

He was born September 11, 1840; entered the Order,
October 4, 1860; ordained priest, September 10, 1864; assist-
ant at St. Boniface's Church, Lafayette, from January 1866
to April 1867.

THE REV. AUGUST WILLIAM GEERS.

He was born at Chur, on February 25, 1853. He came to
this country, on August 10, 1870 and was ordained priest at
Fort Wayne, on April 1, 1876. He was the first resident
pastor of Ege from 1876. He next had charge of Hesse Cassel
in 1877, remaining until August, when he received the appoint-
ment of assistant at SS. Peter and Paul's Church, Huntington.
In February 1879, he transferred to the diocese of Marquette,
Michigan.

THE REV. SAMUEL GELTING O. F. M.

He was born October 13, 1863; entered the Order, August
30, 1885; ordained priest, December 17, 1892; assistant in
Lafayette from August 1, 1898 to May 1901, at St. Boniface's
Church.

THE REV. WOLFGANG N. GIEDL.

I He was the first resident pastor of St. John the Baptist's

I Church at New Haven. He died May 23, 1873, at the age of

thirty-five. His remains rest in the cemetery at New Haven.

110 The Diocese of Fort JVayne.

THE REV. ANDREW GIETL, C. PP. S.

He was born at Pessenburkheim, diocese of Augsburg,
Germany, March 10, 1854; came to America, September 1872;
ordained priest, at Cincinnati, Ohio, May 19, 1879. He, as
the superior of the Indian School, near St. Joseph's College,
Collegeville, personally attended Wheatfield, from June to
September 1898, and since August 1905, Wheatfield has been
attended by the Fathers C. PP. S., residing at the Indian
School.

THE REV. PAUL GILLEN, C. S. C.

He was born in Ireland in 1808; received the habit, Decem-
ber 1856; profession, July 2, 1857. He was the first resident
pastor at Michigan City, attending it as a mission as early as
1854. He also attended Chesterton, Walkerton and Hobart.
He died October 20, 1882 and is buried at Notre Dame.

THE REV. LUCAS GOTTBEHOEDE, O. F. M.

He was born January 23, 1837; entered the Order, Octo-
ber 4, 1860; ordained priest, November 7, 1862; pastor in
Lafayette, from July 1897 to September 1900, at St. Boniface's
Church.

THE REV. FELIX GRAF, C. PP. S.

He was born at Hazberg, Archdiocese of Munich, Germany,
May 26, 1842; came to America, October 15, 1867; ordained
priest, at Cincinnati, Ohio, January 21, 1876. He was the
pastor of Holy Trinity Church, in Jay county, from 1877 till
1878.

THE REV. JOHN GROGAN.

He was the third resident pastor of Kokomo, from June
1872 to September 1873, attending also to Tipton as a mission;

, , The Clergy, Continued. Ill

from October 1, 1873 till March 1,'1882, he was the pastor of
St. Patrick's Church at Lagro. He was the first resident pastor
at Dunnington, from June 1882 to the summer of 1884; first
resident pastor of Monroeville, from 1884 to 1886. He was the
pastor of Marion, from October 1886 till January 1894, attend-
ing also to Fairmount as a station. He was the resident pastor
at St. Peter's Church, Laporte, from January 1, 1894 till
October 1897, when owing to ill health, he was compelled to
resign. He died January 24, 1899 and was buried at Lafay-
ette.

THE REV. ALPHONSE GRUSSl, C. PP. S.

He was born at Sidney, Ohio, October 5, 1859; ordained
priest, at Cathagena, Ohio, July 29, 1883. He visited North
Judson from Rensselaer. He attended Wheatfield, from
October 1895 till 1897.

THE REV. CHARLES B. GUENDLING.

He was born at Peru, Indiana, on January 15, 1868. He
studied the classics and one year of philosophy in St. Francis'
Seminary, Wisconsin, one year of philosophy and four years
of theology, in the North American College, at Rome, Italy.
He was ordained priest by Cardinal Parocchi, in the Lateran
BasiUca, on June 11, 1892. His appointments were: Secre-
tary of the Bishop, and Chancellor of the diocese and assistant
at the Cathedral at Fort Wayne. In July 1898 he was ap-
pointed Superintendent of the St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum,
at Lafayette. He is the Secretary of the Diocesan School
Board.

THE REV. JOHN H. GUENDLING.

He was born December 19, 1855 at Peru, Indiana. He
entered Mount St. Mary's Seminary at Cincinnati, in 1870.
Having completed his classical studies, he was sent to the
North American College, Rome, Italy, in 1876, but owing to

112 The Diocese of Fort Wayne,

continued ill health, he was obliged to return to his native
country in 1878. He then entered the Sulpician Seminary at
Baltimore, Maryland, where he completed his course in theology
and was ordained priest, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, by
Bishop Dwenger, on July 2, 1880. The Bishop made him
Superintendent of St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum at Lafayette,
in July 1880, holding this position till July 1898. On July 15,
1898 he was appointed pastor of the Cathedral at Fort Wayne,
and in January 1899 Bishop Rademacher made him his Vicar
General. From the death of Bishop Rademacher on January
12, 1900 until the accession of Bishop Alerding, he was Admin-
istrator of the diocese. To recuperate his health he took a
trip West, in February, 1901. From June 29, 1901 to July 4,
1902, he had charge of Goshen. On the latter date he was
named the successor of Father Meissner, deceased, as irre-
movable rector of St. Charles' Church at Peru. Father Guend-
ling is a member of the Bishop's Council and a member of the
Diocesan School Board.

THE REV. PHILIP GUETHOFF.

He was born November 18, 1856 in London, England, of
German parents. He made his classical studies in St. Law-
rence's College, Mount Calvary, Wisconsin, and his studies in
philosophy and theology in St. Francis' Seminary, the Arch-
diocese of Milwaukee. He was ordained priest by Bishop
Dwenger, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on June 11, 1884.
He was the pastor of St. Catharine's Church, Nix Settlement,
with Roanoke as a mission, from June 15, 1884 to July 1,
1889. He has been the pastor of St. Mary's Church at Crown
Point, from July 1, 1889. He is a member of the Diocesan
Building Committee.

THE REV. ANGELUS HAFERTEPE, O. F. M.

He was born at Voltlage, diocese of Osnabrueck, Germany,
on June 24, 1855; came to America in 1857; ordained priest,
at Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 15, 1878; visited the mission
Frankfort from Lafayette, from January till August 1896.

The Clergy, Continued. 113

THE REV. DENIS J. HAGERTY, C. S. C.

He was born in London, February 17, 1856, and came to
America at the age of twelve. Having resided in Wisconsin a
few years, he joined the Congregation of the Holy Cross, and
was ordained priest May 1, 1880. He was pastor of St. Pat-
rick's Church, South Bend, from August 1880 until January
1891. He was the pastor of Kewanna and the mission Lucerne
from the spring to September 1896. At present he is chaplain
at St. Mary's Academy, Notre Dame.

THE REV. MICHAEL MARY HALLINAN.

His name appears on the baptismal records of the Cathe-
dral, at Fort Wayne, on August 13, 1865. He was the assistant
to Father Hamilton, pastor at St. Mary's Church, Lafayette
for eight years, up to the time of Father Hamilton's death, in
1875. He was the resident pastor at Wabash, from November
1879 till November 1881. Later he became Vicar General of
Bishop Fitzgerald of Little Rock, Arkansas, which position he
held up to the time of his death four years later.

THE REV. GEORGE A. HAMILTON.

He was a native of Marion county, Kentucky, born in
1818. He was educated at St. Mary's College, Lebanon, Ken-
tucky, and was ordained priest by Bishop Quarter, in the
Cathedral of Chicago, on August 19, 1846. On his mother's
side, he was descendant of the Spalding family from Kentucky.
His first labors were in the diocese of Chicago. Upon the
establishment of the diocese of Fort Wayne, he transferred to
this diocese, taking charge of St. Vincent de Paul's Church, at
Logansport, from .August 1859 to January 1864. While here,
he attended to various missions, such as, Peru, Delphi, Winamac,
Kentland, Kokomo, Frankfort, Kewanna and Lucerne. He
became the pastor of St. Mary's Church, at Lafayette in 1864.
He joined the first American pilgrimage to Rome in company
with Bishop Dwenger, in May, 1874. He died quite suddenly
on April 10, 1875. His remains rest beneath St. Mary's
Church, Lafayette.

114 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. JOSEPH DE MUTZIG HAMION.

He was ordained priest by Bishop de la Hailandiere, on
August 16, 1840. He was the first assistant of Father Benoit,
at St. Augustine's Church, Fort Wayne, from September 1840
to April 17, 1842. His name appears on the records of St.
Mary's Church, at Decatur, and of Hesse Casse^ in 1841. He
died at Logansport, in the early part of 1842.

THE REV. BONAVENTURE HAMMER, O. F. M.

He was born June 23, 1842; entered the Order, October 4,
1860; ordained priest, August 5, 1865; in Lafayette, since
April 1882, at St. Boniface's Church. He is a noted litterateur,
a thorough German and English scholar, the autho of numerous
works. Among other productions of his, we may mention the
splendid rendition of Ben Hur into German.

THE REV. BARTHOLEMEW HARTMANN.

He was born in Nieder-Orschel, diocese of Paderborn,
Germany, on May 18, 1851. He studied the classics with
Dean Ostrop, in Alton, Illinois. His philosophical and theo-
logical studies were made in St. Francis' Seminary, Wisconsin,
and in Montreal. He was ordained priest by Bishop Dwenger,
in Fort Wayne, on February 20, 1875. His appointments
were: Superintendent of the Orphan Asylum at Rensselaer
and Lafayette, from the time of his ordination until July 1880;
pastor of Areola and Monroeville, from 1880 till 1886; pastor
of Monroeville, from 1887 till 1893. Owing to poor health, he
was for a time chaplain in the hospital at Logansport, and
assistant at St. Paul's Church, Fort Wayne. But since 1895,
he was obliged to abandon the active ministry and took up his
residence in Alton, Illinois, where he died on June 12, 1903.

THE REV. JAMES M. HARTNETT.

He was the assistant at the Cathedral in Fort Wayne,
from 1878 till October 23, 1880, the date of his death. He is
buried at Valparaiso.

I

The Clergy, Continued. 115

THE REV. JULIUS HEFFNER, C. PP. S.

He was born at Thompson, Lima county, Ohio, December
4, 1870; entered the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood,
November 12, 1885; ordained priest, at Carthagena, Ohio, by
Archbishop Elder, April 26, 1895. He was the pastor of Holy
Trinity Church, Jay county, from 1901 to 1906.

THE REV. DANIEL HEILE, O. F. M.

He was born August 6, 1842; entered the Order, September
8, 1870; ordained priest, July 26, 1874; pastor at St. Boniface's
Church, Lafayette, from August 1882 to September 1887; died
in Cincinnati, Ohio, November 23, 1905.

THE REV. ANTHONY HERMAN HEITMANN.

He was born in Lastrupe, Oldenburg, diocese of Munster,
Germany, on September 18, 1832. He made his studies at the
Gymnasium of Vechta and in the University of Munster;
emigrated to America September 24, 1864. He was ordained
priest in Fort Wayne, by Bishop Luers, on March 25, 1865.
His first appointment was that of assistant, at St. Mary's
Church in Fort Wayne, until October 1870. He was the pastor
of St. John's Church, at St. John, from October 1870 till July
1, 1906, when he resigned. He is at present pastor emeritus
continuing to reside at St. John.

THE REV. JOHN CAPISTRAN HEITMANNO, . F. M.

He was born December 2, 1859; entered the Order, Septem-
ber 14, 1876; ordained priest, October 4, 1882; assistant in
Lafayette, rom September 1890 to August 1891, at St. Boni-
face's Church during which time he also visited the station
Frankfort.

116 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. HENRY A. HELLHAKE.

He was born February 9, 1849, at Quincy, Illinois, in the
diocese of Alton. He studied the classics at St. Francis'
College, of his native place, and his philosophy and theology
in St. Francis' Seminary, Milwaukee. He was ordained priest
for the diocese of A' ton, on April 21, 1872, at Quincy. He was
admitted to the diocese of Fort Wayne, and was appointed
pastor of Columbia City, from October 1875 to May 1886; was
pastor of Remington until August 1893, of Lebanon, and
missions, till August 1898, of Fowler, until August 12, 1900,
and since that time, he has been pastor of Sheldon and
Bluffton.

THE REV. ANTHONY HENNEBERGER.

He was the son of Frank and Lucy (Gilles) Henneberger,
born at Luetz, on the bank of the river Mosel, in the diocese of
Treves, Germany, on April 2, 1859. His desire was to become
a priest, and when the Prussian Government closed all Catholic
institutions, he emigrated to America and settled near Prince-
ton, Indiana, in 1874: he, his mother and four sisters. In
September 1880, he entered St. Meinrad's College, and upon
the recommendation of the Abbot, Bishop Dwenger ordained
him for the diocese of Fort Wayne, in his Cathedral, on June 14,
1889. On that same day, he was appointed the pastor at
Fowler, where he remained until August 7, 1898, and was given
charge of Attica. On account of his health failing him, he was
obliged to give up the active ministry, from April 1899 until
August 12, 1900, when he was again given charge of his former
parish at Fowler, Indiana. On January 1, 1907 he was trans-
ferred to St. John's Church, at Tipton.

THE REV. THEODORE HIBBELEN.

He was ordained priest in 1871. He died, pastor emeritus,
January 13, 1899, at St. Louis, where he is buried.

The Clergy, Continued. 117

THE REV. HILARY HOEtSCHER, O. F. M.

He was born October 14, 1857; entered the Order, Septem-
ber 4, 1875; ordained priest, September 29, 1880; pastor in
Lafayette, from July 1892 to July 1897, at St. Boniface's
Church.

THE REV HENRY HOERSTMANN.

He was born at Delphos, Ohio, on July 26, 1882. He
attended the parochial school in his native town, and made
his classical studies at St. Joseph's College near Rensselaer,
Indiana. His philosophical and theological studies were
begun and finished at Mount St Mary's Seminary, Cedar
Point, Ohio. He received tonsure in June, 1904; the two
first Minors, in June, 1905; the two second Minors, in June,
1906; Subdeaconship on March 15th, and Deaconship on
March 16, 1907. He was ordained priest by Bishop Alerding,
in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on May 22, 1907.

THE REV. WILLIAM HOFF.

He was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 13, 1878. He
completed all his studies at the Pontifical College, Josephinum
at Co'umbus, Ohio. He was ordained priest by Bishop Hartley,
at Columbus, Ohio, on April 8, 1905. He was appointed the
assistant priest in St. Joseph's Church, at Logansport, on May
11, 1905.

THE REV. WILLIAM S. HOGAN.

He was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, October 9, 1869.
His studies were made at Mount Calvary, Wisconsin, and
Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio. He was ordained
priest at Fort Wayne by Bishop Rademacher, on June 24,
1897. His appointments were: Assistant at St. Vincent's
Church in Logansport rom July 4, 1897 till August 7, 1898;
pastor of Lebanon and missions, from August 7, 1898 till May
7, 1899; assistant at Logansport, from May 7, 1899 till February
1, 1900; pastor of Dunkirk and missions, from March 1900 till

118 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

September 7, 1902; pastor of Goshen, from September 7, 1902
till February 1903; pastor of St. Pau 's Church, Valparaiso,
since February 1903.

THE REV. NICHOLAS HOLTEL, O. F. M.

He was born April 9, 1853; entered the Order, August 25,
1869; ordained priest, February 13, 1876; assistant at St.
Boniface's Church Lafayette, from March 1876 to April 1877;
died at Peoria, Illinois, March 30 1895.

THE REV. WILLIAM B. HORDEMAN.

He was born at Rensselaer, Indiana, on September 19,
1875. He studied the classics at St. Joseph's College, near
Rensselaer, philosophy and theology at Mount St. Mary's
Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio, and was ordained priest by Bishop
Alerding, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on June 17, 1905.
His appointments were: Assistant to Rev. F. C. Wiechmann
at Gas City; assistant at the Cathedral, from January 18th, to
February 5, 1906; substitute at Fowler, from February 5th, to
March 5, 1906; at St. Bernard's Church, Crawfordsville from
April 4th, to April 15, 1906; assistant at SS. Peter and Paul's
Church, Huntington, from August 28th, to October 30, 1906;
pastor of Frankfort and the mission Cicero, since October 30,
1906.

THE REV. GEORGE H. HORSTMANN.

He was born at Fort Wayne, on November 15, 1872.
From the seventh to the fourteenth year of his age, he attended
St. Mary's parochial school. In 1888 he began his classical
studies in St. Lawrence's College, Mount Calvary, Wisconsin.
In 1892 he was sent to Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati,
for the study of philosophy and theology, and was ordained
priest by Bishop Rademacher, at Fort Wayne, on June 24,
1897. His appointments were: Assistant at St. Mary's
Church, Michigan City, till August 1900; pastor of Reynolds
and its missions, from August 1900 to July 1905; pastor at
Remington, since July 4, 1905.

^

The Clergy, Continued. 119

THE REV. JOHN HOSS.

He was born at Dalheim, Luxemburg, on October 5, 1841.
He came to America, on September 24, 1872, and was ordained
priest, April 25, 1878. He was the pastor of St. Anthony's,
Benton county, from October 1878 till June 1884, attending
also to Earl Park as a mission, and up to 1880, to Goodland as
a station, continuing to visit it as a mission until 1883. He
was the resident pastor of Monroeville, from 1886 to 1887.
Residing at the Old Peoples' Home, Avilla, he attended to
Kendallville, from 1887 to 1889. He returned to Europe,
where he died and is buried.

THE REV. GUST AVE HOTTENROTH.

The son of John and Margareth (Humburg) Hottenroth,
was born August 19, 1872, at Hundeshagen, Eichsfeld, prov-
ince of Saxony, Germany. Having attended the parochial
schools of his native village, he entered the college of St.
Charles, near Aix-la-Chapelle. Completing his philosophy in
Liege, Belgium, and having emigrated to America, in Novem-
ber 1893, he made his theological studies in St. Meinrad's Sem-
inary, Spencer county, Indiana, conducted by the Benedictine
Fathers. He was ordained priest there by Bishop Chatard,
of Indianapolis, on May 30, 1896, for the diOcese of Fort Wayne.
His first and present appointment is that of assistant priest to
Mgr. Oechtering at St. Mary's Church, Fort Wayne.

THE REV. EDWARD JOSEPH HOULIHAN.

He was born in South Bend, Indiana, on August 30, 1874.
He studied the classics and philosophy in St. Lawrence's
College, Montreal, Canada, and theology in Mount St. Mary's
Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio. He was ordained priest by Bishop
Alerding, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on May 24, 1902.
He was pastor pro tem. at Goshen; assistant at St. Mary's
Church, in Lafayette; pastor of Kewanna and Lucerne, since
October 20, 1904.

a-

I

120 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. EBERHARD HUELSMANN, O. F. M.

He was born March 27, 1849; entered the Order, August
12, 1867; ordained priest, May 25, 1872; assistant at St. Boni-
face's Church, Lafayette, from August 1873 to August 1874.

THE REV. JOHN HERMAN HUESER, D. D.

He was born November 8, 1839, in Steinhausen, West-
phaHa. He made his philosophical and theological studies at
Munster and Innsbruck, where the degree of Doctor of
Divinity, was conferred on him. He was ordained priest, on
September 21, 1863 in Brixen, Tyrol. Having 'abored three
years in his native diocese, he entered the American College
in Louvain, Belgium, in October 1866, for the study of the
English language in the mean time he also taught dogmatic
theology.

He landed in New York in October 1867. Bishop de
St. Palais placed him in charge of Millhausen, Decatur county,
Indiana, in the diocese of Vincennes. At that time the settle-
ment of Catholic co'onies in the South was being agitated, and
Father Hueser taking a deep interest in this movement placed
himself at the disposal of Bishop Feehan, of Nashville, who
sent him to Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. Another priest taking
charge of Lawrenceburg, Father Hueser started a new settle-
ment fourteen miles further south, naming it Loretto. Here
he built a house and church. He built another church, St.
Joseph's, still further south. Eight miles east of St. Joseph,
he established St. Mary's settlement, and built a log church.
With the permission of Bishop Quinlan of Mobile, he established
a colony near Florence, Alabama, and named it St. Florian;
having built a frame church and priest's house. Rev. Michael
Merz became the first pastor. After five years, Father Hueser
returned North, where in Cincinnati, he became the editor of
the Wahrheitsfreund, during the sickness of editor, Baumstark.
In August 1876 he came to the diocese of Fort Wayne, and for
one year was the acting pastor of SS. Peter and Paul's Church,
Huntington. From August 1877 until January 1880, he was
pastor at Hesse Cassel, on which latter date he was appointed

The Clergy, Continued. 121

pastor and later irremovable rector 0 SS. Peter and Paul's
Church, Huntington. His health necessitated a change of
climate and on August 24, 1906, Father Hueser tendered his
resignation, and on September 10th, of the same year, he left
for Carlsbad, New Mexico. Much of Doctor Hueser's time was
spent in Hterary work, besides his communications to the
current journals, he wrote four volumes of sermon sketches,
the Catechism in the pulpit, First Instructions in the Catholic
Catechism for the use of teachers and pupils, and a prayer and
meditation book for the use of the sick, and for priests attending
the sick, bearing the title, "Lord, behold, he whom Thou
lovest is sick.

THE REV. CHRYSOSTOM HUMMER, C PP. S.

He was born March 9, 1866, at Luxemburg, Stearns county,
Minnesota. He pursued his studies at St. Charles' Seminary,
Carthagena, Ohio, and was ordained priest, by the Most Rev.
W. H. Elder, D. D., June 21, 1893. He taught one year at
the St. Joseph's Indian and Normal School. From June 1894
to September 1896, he was pastor of St. Michael's Church, at
KaHda, Ohio, and from 1896 to January 1903, he was professor
at St. Joseph's College, Collegeville, Indiana, from which pos -
tion he was transferred to the pastorate of the Church of the
Most Precious Blood at Fort Wayne.

THE REV. BONIFACE IWASZEWSKI, C. S. C.

He was born May 1875, in Poland; received the habit,
August 15, 1896; profession, August 15, 1898; ordained priest,
August 12, 1900, at Washington, D. C, by Bishop Curtis. He
is the assistant at St. Hedwig's Church, South Bend.

THE REV. JOSEPH JAGEMANN.

He was born in Ershausen, province of Saxony, Germany,
on May 21, 1879. He made his classical studies in Leipsic,
Germany, two years of philosophy and one year of theology in

122 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Paderborn, Germany, and two years of theology in St. Francis'
Seminary, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was ordained priest by
Bishop Alerding, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on June 18,
1904. His appointments were: Assistant at St. Joseph's
Church, Mishawaka; assistant at SS. Peter and Paul's Church,
Huntington. With the permission of the Right Rev. Bishop
of Fort Wayne, he has an appointment in the Archdiocese of
St. Paul.

THE REV. FRANCIS J. JANSEN.

He was born at Essen, Germany, on May 7, 1874. The
family emigrated to America in 1883. He attended the
parochial schools in New York, and at the age of thirteen,
became the private secretary of Mr. Louis Benziger of Benziger
Brothers. From 1888 till 1893, he studied at St. Lawrence's
College, Mount Calvary, Wisconsin, was received into the
diocese of Fort Wayne, and made his philosophical and theo-
logical course in Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, until
June 16, 1898, on which date he was ordained priest by Arch-
bishop Elder. He was assistant at St. Mary's Church Lafayette,
from September 10, 1898 till June 17, 1899; was appointed
pastor of Frankfort and missions June 21, 1899, where he
remained until October 30, 1906, when he was appointed
pastor of St. Vincent's Church at Elkhart.

THE REV. THOMAS FRANCIS JANSEN.

He was born December 25, 1872, on mid-ocean, his parents
emigrating and settling in Fort Wayne. He attended St.
Peter's parochial school at Fort Wayne. In the fall of 1890,
he entered St. Lawrence's College, at Mount Calvary, Wisconsin,
where he studied the classics. Having completed his classical
course, he entered Mount St. Mary's Seminary at Cincinnati,
to pursue the study of philosophy, for two years, and theology,
for three. He was ordained priest by His Eminence Sebastian
Cardinal Martinelli, Apostolic Delegate to the United States,
in the Josephinum at Columbus, on July 3, 1900. For one
month he relieved Rev. Louis Moench at Valparaiso. His first
appointment was that of assistant to Rev. John Bleckmann at

The Clergy, Continued. 123

Michigan City, from August 12, 1900, till February 27, 1903,
when he was made pastor of St. Bridget's Church at Hobart
and SS. Peter and Paul's Church at Lottaville (Turkey Creek).
On November 6, 1905, Lottaville received a resident pastor.

THE REV. THEODORE JARZYNSKl, C. S. C.

He was born October 25, 1869, in Russian, Poland; received
the habit, March 19, 1896; profession, March 19, 1898; ordained
priest, November 6, 1898, by Bishop Hurth of Dacca, India,
at Notre Dame. He was assistant priest to Father Czyzewski
at St. Hedwig's Church, in South Bend. At present he is in
the diocese of Denver.

THE REV. PETER JOHANNES, C. S. C.

He was born at Eischen, in the Grand Duchy of Luxem-
burg, on September 29, 1855. The family emigrated to
America where he entered the novitiate at Notre Dame, Indiana,
and was ordained priest October 12, 1878. He labored in New
Orleans until the end of 1881, when on account of ill health,
owing to the Southern climate, his superiors recalled him to
Notre Dame. In February 1882, he was appointed the first
regular pastor of the German Catholics in South Bend. Here
he organized St. Mary's Congregation. He celebrated his
Sacerdotal Silver Jubilee, on October 12, 1903, and on the
morning of the 27th of the same month, 1904, he was found
dead in his bed, having suffered a stroke of apoplexy.

THE REV. HERMAN JURASCHEK.

He was born on August 12, 1873, in Geseke, near Pader-
born, province Westphalia, Germany. He entered the
Gymnasium of Geseke, when in 1889, he emigrated to America,
and studied at St. Francis' College, Quincy, Illinois, then two
years at St Francis' Seminary, at Milwaukee. He finished
his theological studies at St. John's, CoUegeville, Minnesota,
where he was ordained priest for the diocese of Fort Wayne,
on June 24, 1896 by Bishop Marty. He was made assistant

124 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

at the Cathedral, and for three months had charge of Union
City. After which he was the assistant at St. Mary's Church,
Michigan City, from October 13, 1896 to July 17, 1897. He
was pastor of Ege for four months. He became pastor at
Summit, on November 12, 1897, and remained until May 10,
1899, when he took charge of Chesterton, up to the present time.

THE REV. ALPHONSE M. JUST, C. S. C.

He was born at Harlange-Wiltz, Grand Duchy of Luxem-
burg, Germany, on May 27, 1879. He made his elementary
studies at Harlange; his classical, at the Athenseum in Luxem-
burg and at Le Vesinet, France, (Seine et Oise). He entered
the Novitiate of the Congregation of the Holy Cross at Angers,
France, (Maine et Loire) in 1900; received the habit, August
15, 1900; made his profession, on December 8, 1902. He made
his philosophical studies in the study-house of the Congregation
and in the University of Angers, till April 1903, when, on
account of the French persecution, he was obliged to leave,
going to Rome, Italy, where he remained until December 1903.
He was now sent to the study-house of the Congregation in
Chittagong, Eastern Assam and Bengal, East British Indies,
Asia, where he pursued his theological course, from 1904 till
1906, when sickness obliged him to come to America. He
completed his course at the American Catholic University,
Washington, D. C, and was ordained priest, by Bishop Hurth,
C. S. C. at the University of Notre Dame, on August 2, 1906.
He was made the assistant at the Sacred Heart Church,
South Bend, and upon the death of Father Klein, C. S. C,
October 6, 1906, was appointed his successor.

THE REV. MAURICE KAEDER, O. S. B.

He was born at Kammern, Archdiocese of Cologne, May
27, 1837; came to America in 1847; ordained priest, June 2,
1860. He was the pastor at Crown Point, from July 1882 to
September 1888.

The Clergy, Continued. 125

THE REV. PETER ALOYSIUS KAHELLEK.

He was born on April 25, 1865, in the diocese of Culm,
Germany. He studied the classics at St. John's University,
Minnesota, and St. Francis, Wisconsin, philosophy in Sandwich,
Canada, and theology at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati,
Ohio. He was ordained priest by Archbishop Elder, at Cin-
cinnati, on June 17, 1897. His first appointment was that of
pastor at North Judson, where he remained till July 2, 1899,
attending to Wheatfield, from February 12th, till June 1898.
Since July 2, 1899, he has had charge of St. Casimir's Church,
Hammond.

THE REV. HENRY C. KAPPEL.

He was born in Fort Wayne, on February 2, 1873. He
attended St. Mary's parochial school. The Rev. Charles
Romer, assistant at St. Mary's Church gave him private
instructions, whereupon he took up his classical course at St.
Lawrence's College, Mount Calvary, Wisconsin. His studies
in philosophy and theology were begun and completed at
Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio. He was or-
dained priest, by Bishop Rademacher, on June 24, 1897. His
first appointment was that of assistant priest to Rev. H. M.
Plaster, at St. Joseph's Church, Hammond, from August 1897
to February 1899. From February to June 1899, he was
assistant to Rev. B. Kroeger at St. Bridget's Church, Logans-
port. He was pastor of Walkerton and missions, from Septem-
ber 10, 1899 to July 14, 1901, being its first resident pastor.
From July 14, 1901 to June 30, 1905, he was pastor of Fair-
mount, with Matthews, as' a station. For two and a half
months he remained as pastor of St. Michael's Church, Ply-
mouth, when on September 13, 1905, he received his appoint-
ment, pastor of Areola and the mission Pierceton. Since June
8, 1907, he has charge of Oxford.

THE REV. JOHN KASPRZYKOWSKL

He was born at Grunsberg, Germany, on June 10, 1877.
He studied the classics at St. Lawrence's College, Mount Cal-
vary, Wisconsin; philosophy at SS. Cyrillus and Methodius'

126 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Seminary, Detroit, Michigan ; theology at the Kenrick Seminary,
in St. Louis. He was ordained priest by Bishop Alerding, in
the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on June 22, 1906. Since his
ordination he has been the assistant at St. Stanislaus' Church,
Michigan City.

THE REV. JOHN C. KELLER.

He was born at Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania, diocese of
Scranton, on September 12, 1875. He studied the classics at
Mount Calvary, Wisconsin, and philosophy and theology at
Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio. He was ordained
priest by Archbishop Elder, in Cincinnati, on June 16, 1899.
His appointments were: Assistant at St. Charles' Church,
Peru, from July 5, 1899 to July 12, 1901; assistant at St.
Joseph's Church, Mishawaka, from July 12, 1901 to June 8,
1902; pastor of Kendallville and the missions Ligonier and
Rome City, since June 8, 1902.

THE REV. MICHAEL F. KELLY.

He was the pastor of Marion, from 1876 till 1882; pastor
of Lagro, from April 20, 1882, till January 1884; pastor of
Kewanna and the missions Lucerne and Rochester, from 1884
till the fall of 1886; pastor of Lebanon, from the fall of 1886 till
October 4, 1893, the date of his death. He is buried at
Lafayette.

THE REV. CHARLES FREDERICK KEYSER.

He was born in Monroe, Michigan, on February 2, 1875.
He made his classical studies at the University of Notre Dame
and the Assumption College, Sandwich, Canada, philosophical
and theological, at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati,
Ohio. He was ordained priest by Bishop Alerding, on October
11, 1902, in the Cathedral, at Fort Wayne. On the same day,
he was appointed assistant to Rev. Henry Boeckelmann,
pastor of St. Vincent's Church, at Elkhart. In October 1903,

The Clergy, Continued. 127

he received the appointment of assistant to Rev. Henry M.
Plaster, pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Hammond. On Novem-
ber 6, 1905, he was made pastor of Lowell and assisting the
Rev. Anthony Heitmann, pastor of St. John's Church, St.
John. From July 1, 1906, till November 21st, of the same
year, he was the acting pastor of St. John, on which latter date
he was made pastor of Lowell. On June 8, 1907, he was
transferred to North Judson, having charge also of the mission
San Pierre.

THE REV. EDMUND B. KILROY, D. D.

He was born on November 24, 1830, in Ireland, received
his education in the University o" Notre Dame. On July 13,
1849, he entered the Congregation of the Holy Cross, made his
profession, on August 15, 1853. Ordained a priest, he became
a professor at Notre Dame and afterwards for two years,
President of St. Mary's College of Chicago. Having separated
from the Congregation of the Holy Cross, he was pastor, first
at Laporte, from 1854 to July 1859. He succeeded Father
Gillen as resident pastor at Michigan City, having jurisdiction
over both St. Ambrose and St. Mary's Churches, until September
1860. He was also pastor of Lafayette at St. Mary's Church.
He accepted an appointment of chaplain of the army during
the Civil War in 1861. From 1863 till 1867, he attended
Oxford. Later he went to Ontario, Canada, West; in 1869,
he was at St. Mary's, Ontario, later at Strattford, where he died.

THE REV. FRANCIS A. KING.

He was born on March 25, 1861, in Delphi, Indiana. His
studies were made in Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati,
Ohio, and in St. Francis' Seminary, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
He was ordained priest in Milwaukee, by Archbishop Heiss, on
June 29, 1885. His appointments were: Pastor of Covington
and missions till 1890; pastor of Union City, from 1890 till
1899; pastor of Goshen; assistant at Goodland, from June 1902

128 The Diocese of Fort Wayne,

till August 9, 1903; at present he is assistant of St. Vincent de
Paul's Church, Logansport, residing in St. Joseph's Hospital
of the same city.

THE REV. MARTIN KINK.

He was pastor of Pulaski, from 1862 to 1863, with Indian
Creek, Klaasville for missions. He was pastor of SS. Peter
and Paul's Church, at Huntington, from August to December
1863. He attended Hesse Cassel and Sheldon, from 1863 to
1866. He was a native of Bavaria, to which country he re-
turned and where he died.

THE REV. PETER P. KLEIN, C. S. C.

He was born at Portsmouth, Ohio, on July 16, 1862, where
he attended the parochial school of St. Mary's Church until
July 1, 1875. He completed his classical course at Notre Dame,
in June 1880, after which he became a member of the Congre-
gation of the Holy Cross and taught in St. Joseph's College,
Cincinnati. In 1881 he was sent to Montreal, Canada, where
he taught in the institution known as Cote-des-Neiges, at
which place he was ordained priest, on February 28, 1885, and
was made president of the institution. When he left in 1887,
the attendance had increased from 38 to 221 with a corre-
sponding improvement in the buildings. He was sent to
Europe on business of the Congregation in 1887, and upon his
return he was appointed president of St. Isidore's College, at
New Orleans. He remained two and one-half years for the
good of this institution. In the midst of his activity, he
suffered an apoplectic stroke and returned to Notre Dame.
After that for five years, he was president of St. Edward's
College, Austin, Texas; after which he gave missions in various
parts of the country. In 1905, he was again sent to Europe on
important business. On March 25, 1906, he was made pastor
of Sacred Heart Church, South Bend, where he died on October
6, 1906.

The Clergy, Continued. 129

THE REV. FRANCIS J. KOCH.

He was born in Nix Settlement, Whitley county, Indiana,
on September 18, 1868. From the eighteenth year of his age
until 1894, he was a teacher in the public school, after which
he studied the classics in St. Viateur's College, Illinois, and St.
Joseph's College, Indiana. Philosophy and theology he studied
in Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, and was ordained
priest by Bishop Alerding, in the Cathedral, at Fort Wayne,
on May 24, 1902. His appointments were: Assistant at St.
Joseph's Church, Hammond, from June 1902 till October 1903;
pastor of St. Anthony's, Benton county, since October 1903.
Twenty-five years ago he went to school to a man who is now
one of his parishoners.

THE REV. HENRY KOEHNE.

He was born in Altenbergen, Westphalia, Germany, on
June 2, 1835. Until the twelfth year of his age, he attended
the schools of his native place, after which he attended college
for his classical course. He emigrated to this country in the
company of the Rev. Joseph Fisch, in the month of October
1859. He studied phi'osophy and theology, in St. Mary's
University, Chicago, Illinois, and together with six other
students, was ordained priest, on the Feast of Pentecost, May
24, 1863, by Bishop Duggan. He was given charge of the
parish at Henry, Illinois, together with five neighboring mis-
sions. The fact that he administered Baptism to three hundred
and sixty, during the first year, shows how numerous the
Catholics were, scattered about in these missions. Later he
had charge of the missions Danville and Champaign of the same
State. Having become acquainted with Bishop Dwenger, he
was soon admitted a member of the Fort Wayne, diocesan
clergy, and was given charge at once of St. Joseph's Parish at
Logansport, where he labored, from August 24, 1872 till
November 24, 1906, the date of his death. His remains rest
in the cemetery at Logansport.

130 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. EDWARD KOENIG.

He was born on September 1, 1827, at Brilon in West-
phalia, and was ordained priest, at Paderborn, on March 28,
1852. Having exercised the sacred ministry in several places
of his native diocese, he was appointed the spiritual director
of the Insane Asylum at Marsburg, which position he filled
during ten years. He emigrated to America and arrived in
Fort Wayne, on November 23, 1865, when he was appointed
pastor of the new St. Paul's Congregation. It was under his
direction that much of the work accomplished was done. It
was also owing to his efforts that St. Joseph's Hospital was
built. Father Koenig departed this life on January 22, 1898.
He was a universal favorite, a man and priest of the most
amiable character. His remains rest in the cemetery at Fort
Wayne.

THE REV. FREDERICK KOENIG.

He was born on July 1, 1873, at Brilon, Diocese of Pader-
born, Germany, He studied the classics in Brilon and Steyl,
Germany, philosophy in Moedlingen, Germany, theology in
Louvain, Belgium. He was ordained priest at Louvain, by
Bishop Maes, of Covington, Kentucky, for the diocese of Fort
Wayne, on June 29, 1897. For three months he was assistant
at Hartford City, six months, the assistant at Union City,
when in September 1898, he was made the first resident pastor
of Lowell, with Wheatfield and Kniman, as missions. On
November 6, 1905 he was transferred to the pastorate of
Lottaville, better known as Turkey Creek.

THE REV. HENRY KOENIG.

He was born in Heiligenstadt, diocese of Paderborn,
Germany, on October 7, 1835. He was ordained priest, on
June 9, 1859, at Carlow, Ireland. He emigrated to America,
in October 1859. He was the second resident pastor at Mish-
awaka, from 1859 till 1867, visiting also Elkhart. He was the

The Clergy, Continued. 131

first resident pastor, at Winamac in 1867, and from 1868 to
the close of 1872, was the pastor of Pulaski and Indian Creek.
While here he attended also Monterey and during the absence
of the Rev. B. Rachor, from October 1866 till November 1868,
paid visits to St. John. Later he became a priest of the Lacrosse
diocese, being pastor of St. Mary's Church at Keyesville,
Wisconsin, at the time of his death in 1892.

THE REV. EERDINAND KOERDT.

He was born at Oestinghausen, Westphalia, Germany, on
August 23, 1853, a son of Henry and Catharine Koerdt. His
father was a farmer. During his boyhood days, he attended
the schools of his native village,until he was twelve years of
age, after which he took private lessons for eight months, and
then began his collegiate course at Bechem, in September 1866.
Having spent three years at this place, he entered the Royal
Gymnasium at Paderborn. Two years later, October 31, 1871,
the young man began his philosophical and theological courses
at Munster. Having completed three years of his theological
course, he taught a private school for one year. The May-laws,
better known as the Kultur-kampf, induced him to emigrate
to America, in August 1875. He entered Mount St. Mary's
Seminary at Cincinnati, Ohio, and was ordained priest by
Bishop Dwenger, on July 8, 1876, in the Cathedral at Fort
Wayne. His first appointment was that of pastor of Sheldon
with Bluffton as a mission. On July 3, 1896, he was transferred
to the pastorate of St. Peter's Church, Fort Wayne. Father
Koerdt was particularly noted as a school man. He was
appointed a member of the School Board in 1883. In 1895,
he was made the Defensor of the Matrimonial Court. He was
the Secretary of the Diocesan Synods since 1880. In 1900,
St. Peter's was named an irremovable rectorship. Though
young, his health was broken down and he was obliged to seek
rest and recuperation in the spring of 1905. God willed differ-
ently, and on May 7th, of the same year, he departed this life
at Los Angeles, California. His remains rest in the cemetery
at Fort Wayne.

132 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. JOHN F. KOHL.

He was born at South Germantown, Wisconsin, on Novem-
ber 24, 1879. He attended the parochial schools of his native
place. From September 5, 1894, until 1897, he spent in the
study of the classics at St. Francis' Seminary, Wisconsin, com-
pleting the same at St. Lawrence's College, Mount Calvary,
Wisconsin. In June 1900, he was sent to St. Meinrad's Sem-
inary, at St. Meinrad, Indiana, where he completed his philo-
sophical and theological studies, and was ordained priest by
Bishop Alerding, in the Cathedral, at Fort Wayne, on June 17,
1905. He was assistant priest in St. Bridget's Church, Logans-
port, from June 30, 1905.

THE REV. GEORGE KOLESINSKI.

He was born in the village Romanizki in Lithuania Russian
Poland. He entered the "Congregatio Marianorum" on March
19, 1853, and was ordained priest on February 13, 1859, by
Bishop Welnezewski, and during the Polish Insurrection, he
was exiled to Siberia, in 1863. Returning from there, he was
imprisoned for nine months in 1888. Having emigrated to
America in 1890, he labored in the Archdiocese of Chicago until
January 19, 1894, when he was appointed pastor of the Polish
congregation at Terre Coupee with Rolling Prairie for a mission.
Here he remained until April 1901, when he served as assistant
to Father Czyzewski at St. Hedwig's Church in South Bend,
until August 1905, since which time owing to his advanced
years, he has had no special duties.

THE REV. PAUL KOLOPP, C. S. C.

He was born at Alberschweiler, diocese of Nancy, in 1856.
Having emigrated to the United States in 1873, he was ordained
priest on June 15, 1880, at Notre Dame and was given charge
of the German portion of St. Patrick's congregation at South
Bend, residing with the pastor of this church. He was soon
removed to a mission in California and later became a priest
of the Covington, Kentucky, diocese where he died on April
26, 1906, pastor of Corpus Christi Church, Newport, Kentucky.

The Clergy, Continued. 133

THE REV. MARCUS. KREKE, O. F. M.

He was born February 19, 1852 ; entered the Order, Septem-
ber 8, 1870; ordained priest, December 18, 1875; assistant at St,
Boniface's Church, Lafayette, from September 1876 to April
1877.

THE REV. ANTHONY J. H. KROEGER.

He was born in Kloppenburg, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg,
Germany, on January 25, 1854. He attended the parochial
school of his native city and there also began his study for the
priesthood. At the instance of his uncle, the Rev. Bernard
Kroeger, he came to the United States. He was sent to Mount
St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio, where he remained
until June 1879, the date on which that Seminary closed. He
finished his studies at St. Francis' Seminary, Milwaukee, Wis-
consin, and was ordained priest by Bishop Dwenger, in the
Cathedral, at Fort Wayne, on December 12, 1879. His appoint-
ments were: Assistant to Rev. B. Kroeger at St. Bridget's
Church, Logansport, until November 24, 1880; pastor of St.
John's Church, Goshen, with Ligonier and Millersburg as mis-
sions, till October 20, 1888; pastor at Lagro with Andrews
(formerly Antioch) as a mission, until June 2, 1890; pastor of
St. John's Church, Tipton, until January 1, 1907; pastor at
St. Joseph's Church, Logansport, since January 1, 1907. He
is a Diocesan Consultor, Procurator Fiscalis, Synodal Examiner
and a member of the School Board.

THE REV. BERNARD KROEGER.

He was born at Kloppenburg, Oldenburg, Prussia, on
March 14, 1832. At the age of seventeen, he emigrated to the
United States, locating temporarily at Cincinnati, Ohio, then
for four years at Teutopolis, Illinois, after which he returned
to Europe. In the year following, he came back to the United
States and entered Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati,
remaining there for two years, after which he became a student

134 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

in St. Vincent's Seminary, Pennsylvania, for six years. He
was ordained priest by Bishop Luers at Fort Wayne, on August
2, 1863. For a short time, he was assistant at the Cathedra',
Fort Wayne, after which he was sent to St. Vincent de Paul's
Church, Logansport, as assistant to Rev. George A. Hamilton,
visiting the missions Kewanna, Lucerne and Pulaski. He suc-
ceeded Rev. B. Force at Peru, January 5, 1864. From here he
also attended to the missions Lagro, Kokomo and Tipton and
to the stations Wabash, Rochester and Fairmount. From 1872
till March 1, 1875, he had charge of the St. Joseph's Orphan
Asylum at Rensselaer. On the latter date, he was appointed
to organize a new parish at Logansport, St. Bridget's Church.
He is the dean of the Logansport district. He resigned his
charge on July 13, 1907, owing to his advanced age and inability
to attend to parochial work. He continues to reside in Logans-
port.

THE REV. WILLIAM KROEGER.

He was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, January 25, 1853. He
made his classical studies at Teutopolis, Illinois, philosophy,
at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio, theology, at
St. Meinrad's, Indiana. He was ordained priest by Bishop
Dwenger, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, January 25, 1880.
He was assistant at St. Mary's Church, Lafayette, about one
year, when he received the appointment of pastor of St. Vin-
cent's Church, Elkhart, where he remained until 1891. He
died at Epiphany, South Dakota, December 8, 1904, where he
is buried.

THE REV. H. F. JOSEPH KROLL.

He was born at Baltimore, Maryland, October 4, 1855.
Having completed his elementary education at the parochial
and high school of his native city, he entered St. Vincent's
College, forty miles east of Pittsburg to take up the classics.
His health failing after two years, his physician advised a
change of climate. Coming West, he became acquainted with

The Clergy, Continued. 135

Bishop Dwenger, who accepted him as a student of the diocese
of Fort Wayne. He was sent to St. Francis, near Milwaukee,
where he finished his classical, philosophical and theological
courses. Archbishop Henni conferred Minor Orders on him
and ordained him Subdeacon and Deacon. On July 21, 1879,
he was ordained priest in the Cathedral, at Fort Wayne, by
Bishop Dwenger. His first appointment was pastor of Ches-
terton, where he resided, attending also to Lake Station,
Millers, Edgemoor, Westville, Whiting and Walkerton. During
five years, he also visited the State Prison at Michigan City.
On February 21, 1898, Bishop Rademacher appointed him
pastor of St. Paul's Church in Fort Wayne, his present charge.
He is the Defensor Matrimonii and a member of the Diocesan
School Board.

THE REV. HERMAN VIRGILLIUS KRULL, C. PP. S.

He was born January 12, 1874, at Lorup, Kreis Huemm-
ling, Hanover; entered the Congregation of the Most Precious
Blood, September 22, 1893; ordained priest, December 17, 1902,
at Carthagena, Ohio, by Bishop Moeller of Columbus. He was
the pastor of St. Peter's Church at Winamac, from November
1904 till the end of January 1905. Pastor pro tem. at Kentland
sometime between December 10, 1902, and February 13, 1903.

THE REV. JOHN F. KUBACKI.

He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on November 20,
1868, the son of Thomas and Victoria (Brzezinska) Kubacki,
natives of Poland, who emigrated to this country in 1857. He
began his studies in St. Mary's College, Kansas, continued
them at St. Francis' Seminary at Milwaukee, and completed
his theological course at Mount St. Mary's Seminary at Cin-
cinnati. He was ordained priest by Archbishop Elder, on
June 19, 1894, and was sent to North Judson, Indiana, having
charge of San Pierre and Knox, until November 1896, when
he was appointed pastor at Reynolds. Here he had charge
also of Francisville and Medarryville and the stations Monon

136 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

and Monticello. From August 6, 1900, till November 10, 1904,
he was pastor of St. Stanislaus' Church at East Chicago. Since
the latter date, he received an appointment in the diocese of
Pittsburg.

THE REV. GODFREY KUENG.

He was born in Gotzis, Austria, diocese of Brixen, on
January 3, 1837. He was ordained priest, on June 26, 1862
and emigrated to America, in June 1868. He was the first
resident pastor of St. Michael's Church at Schererville, from
the latter part of 1875 till October 1876, when he returned to
his native country.

THE REV. SERAPHINE KUNKLER, C. PP. S

He was born at Unter-Glotterthal, Archdiocese of Freiburg,
Germany, August 28, 1851 ; came to America, October 16, 1868;
ordained priest at Fort Wayne, March 14, 1879. He was the
assistant at SS. Peter and Paul's Church, Huntington, from
May 1879 till January 1880. He is pastor of Holy Trinity
Church, in Jay county, since 1906.

THE REV. ALOYSIUS KURTZ, O. F. M.

He was born at Laar, diocese of Limburg, Germany, on
June 7, 1850; emigrated to America, in 1853; ordained priest,
at Detroit, Michigan, on August 25, 1872; attended the mission
Frankfort, from August 1896 till August 1898, residing at
Lafayette.

THE REV. FRANCIS X. LABONTE.

He was born at Benson, Vermont, in the diocese of Bur-
lington, on January 30, 1868. His studies were made at
L' Assumption, Montreal, Canada, and at Baltimore, Maryland.

The Clergy, Continued. 137

He was ordained priest by Bishop. Rademacher, in the Cathe-
dral at Fort Wayne, on May 19, 1894. He was pastor of St.
Louis' Church at Besancon until January 1902. He then
labored in the diocese of Hartford, Connecticut until his return
to Fort Wayne, on April 7, 1905, when he was appointed
assistant at St. Vincent's Church, Elkhart. He was pastor of
St. Patrick's Church at Oxford from October 30, 1906, till
March 21, 1907, when he departed this life in St. Elisabeth's
Hospital at Lafayette. After a solemn Requiem Mass in St.
Mary's Church at Lafayette, the remains were taken to Stafford
Springs, Connecticut, for burial.

THE REV. ALBERT E. LAFONTAINE.

He was born in Montreal, Canada, on April 7, 1868. He
received his elementary education in the schools of that city;
took a commercial course at Varennes College; studied classics
at L' Assumption; began the study of theology at Brignole Sale
College, Genoa, Italy, in 1887 and was ordained priest there,
on June 11, 1892, for the foreign missions. In that same year,
he came to Toronto, Canada, where he did missionary work
among the Italians and conducted night schools. After a
short while, he was appointed superintendent of the Blantyre
Industrial School and was also given charge of the parish at
East Toronto. He did missionary work also in the Niagara
Peninsular. In 1896, he came to Fort Wayne in delicate
health and was assistant at the Cathedral in Fort Wayne, until
July 1897, when he was sent to St. Vincent's. On July 9, 1901,
he was appointed Superintendent of Parochial Schools for the
diocese of Fort Wayne, a position which he was the first to
occupy. He is still active in that same field of labor.

THE REV. SIMON P. LALUMIERE.

He was born at Vincennes, Indiana, in 1804; ordained
priest by Bishop Flaget, the first priest ordained for Vincennes;
his name appears on the baptismal records of the Cathedral at
Fort Wayne, from May 31st, to June 7, 1835; he visited Lafay-
ette from Terre Haute about the year 1841. He died at Terre
Haute, June 9, 1857.

138 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. FRANCIS J. LAMBERT.

He was born at Wilting, the diocese of Treves, Germany,
on February 13, 1857. He received his elementary education
at the schools of his native town. He visited the Gymnasium
at Treves, where he spent seven years, after which he entered
the Jesuit College at Tournhout, Belgium, and remained one
year. His philosophical and theological courses were made in
the American College, Louvain, from 1879 until March 10, 1883,
the date on which he was ordained priest by Bishop Adames,
for the diocese of Fort Wayne. He left his native country on
April 21, 1883, and arrived at Fort Wayne on May 4th. His
appointments were: Pastor of Nix Settlement and Roanoke,
from May 4, 1883 till June 15, 1884; pastor at St. Anthonyjs,
Benton county, from June 15, 1884 till May 15, 1888; pastor
at Dunnington since May 15, 1888.

THE REV. LAWRENCE LAMOOR.

He was born at Schalladuebach, Bavaria, diocese of Spire,
Germany, on August 30, 1840. He emigrated to this country
in 1850 and was ordained priest, on May 17, 1865. His name
appears on the baptismal records of the Cathedral at Fort
Wayne, on July 16, 1865. He was the assistant to Rev. B.
Kroeger at Peru in 1865 and attended to Tipton as a mission.
From 1867 till 1870, he was the pastor of Union City, attending
to Kokomo and Dunkirk as missions. He also visited Hart-
ford City and Montpelier sometime between the years of 1856
and 1883. He was the pastor of St. Charles' Church at Peru,
from 1872 to September 1875. Later he entered the Benedic-
tine Order in Manchester, New Hampshire.

THE REV. JOHN F. LANG.

He was born February 15, 1848, in Delphos, Ohio. He
studied the classics in Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati,
Ohio, philosophy, with the Sulpicians at Montreal, Canada,
theology in Cleveland, Ohio, and St. Francis, Wisconsin. He

The Clergy, Continued. 139

was ordained priest, by Bishop Dwenger in Fort Wayne, on
February 20, 1875. His appointments were the following:
Pastor of St. Patrick's Church, Chesterton, from March 1875
till October 1877; pastor of St. Patrick's Church, Oxford, from
October 1877 till April 1882; secretary of Bishop Dwenger and
Chancellor of the diocese, from 1882 till 1892. At the present
time, he is pastor at Lowell, Ohio, in the diocese of Columbus.

THE REV. GEORGE LAUER.

He was born on August 24, 1872, at Fort Wayne, Indiana.
He made his studies at Mount Calvary, Wisconsin, and Mount
St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio. He was ordained
priest, by Bishop Rademacher, in the Cathedral, at Fort Wayne,
on June 30, 1896. The first eighteen months of his ministry
were spent consecutively at Goshen, Earl Park, Laporte and
Rome City, after which he spent an additional eighteen months
in charge of Ligonier and Kendallville. He was assistant at
St. Joseph's Church, Hammond, for a short time, and since
March 1899 is the pastor of St. Mary's Congregation, East
Chicago.

THE REV. JACOB LAUTH, C. S. C

He was born at Bous, diocese of Luxemburg, April 16,
1845; emigrated to America, April 16, 1863; received the habit,
August 24, 1867; profession, August 30, 1868; ordained priest
at Notre Dame, November 11, 1870. He was the pastor at
St. Vincent, Allen county, in the year 1895.

THE REV. JOHN LAUTH, C. S. C

He was born at Bous, diocese of Luxemburg, January 1,
1841; came to America in 1858; received the habit, August 24,
1867; profession, August 30, 1868; ordained priest, November
11, 1870. He was pastor of St. Patrick's Church, South Bend,
during the year 1875; pastor of St. Vincent, Allen county, from
1888 to 1890.

140 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. PETER LAUTH, C. S. C

He was born at Bous diocese of Luxemburg, May 24,
1834; came to America, May 19, 1854; received the habit,
August 15, 1864; profession, September 9, 1866; ordained
priest, at Notre Dame, March 7, 1869. He was the pastor of
St. Joseph's Church, at South Bend, from January 1873 till
September 1874, and again, from September 1875 till 1876.
He was pastor of St. Patrick's Church at South Bend, from 1876
till August 1880. He has been pastor of St. Joseph's Church
at South Bend, since April 5, 1902.

THE REV. ALPHONSE LAUX, C. PP. S.

He was born at Stolsenberg, Luxemburg, on September
11, 1835. He was received into the Community of the Most
Precious Blood, on July 17, 1858, was ordained priest by
Archbishop Purcell of Cincinnati, on November 7, 1861. He
was the chaplain of the Kneipp Sanitarium, from March 1903
till September 1906. He departed this life in St. Francis'
Hospital, Cincinnati, on February 28, 1907.

THE REV. AUGUSTINE LEMONNIER, C. S. C.

He was born April 25, 1839. He was one of the pastors
of St. Joseph's Church at South Bend, attending the same
from Notre Dame, prior to 1869. He died on October 29,
1874, and is buried at Notre Dame.

THE REV. CHARLES LEMPER.

He was born at Glandorf, Ohio, on August 3, 1854. He
was ordained priest in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, by Bishop
Dwenger, on May 22, 1880. He was pastor of Attica, from
1880 till 1898, also attending to Covington, as a mission, during
the time it had no resident pastor. He was transferred to St.

The Clergy, Continued. 141

Michael's Church, Plymouth, where he remained until the date
of his death, December 13, 1900. 'His remains rest in the ceme-
tery at Plymouth.

THE REV. F. G. LENTZ.

He was horn at Cumberland, Maryland, in 1846. He was
educated at Bardstown, Kentucky, and Mount St. Mary's
Seminary, Cincinnati, and was ordained priest by Bishop
Dwenger, on July 6, 1876. He was immediately sent to Tipton,
as its first resident pastor. Here he remained until June 5,
1890, when he was appointed pastor at Covington.

THE REV. LOUIS J. L'ETOURNEAU, C. S. C

He was born at Detroit, Michigan, on October 3, 1828;
received the habit, June 1854; profession. May 1, 1856; ordained
priest, by Bishop Henni, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, September
20, 1857. He was one of the pastors of St. Joseph's Church
at South Bend, attending the same from Notre Dame, prior to
1869, and again, from September 1874 till September 1875.
At present he is at Notre Dame.

THE REV. ZEPHIRINUS LEVEQUE, C. S. C.

He was born at La Riviere, Canada, January 10, 1806;
received the habit, November 1, 1856; profession, December
25, 1857. He was one of the pastors of St. Joseph's Church
at South Bend, attending the same from Notre Dame prior to
1869. He died February 13, 1862, and is buried at Notre Dame.

THE REV. EDMUND ALOYSIUS LEY.

He was born at Landeck, Ohio, on May 24, 1875. He
made his classical studies at St. Joseph's College, near Rens-
selaer, and his philosophical and theological studies at Mount
St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio. He was ordained

142 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

priest in the chapel of the Episcopal Residence, at Fort Wayne,
on December 22, 1905, by Bishop Alerding; since which time
he has been the assistant at St. Mary's Church, Anderson.

THE REV. LEOPOLD LINDER, C. PP. S.

He was born at Donzdorf, diocese of Rottenburg, Ger-
many, January 10, 1863, came to America, October 16, 1885;
ordained priest, at Carthagena, Ohio, June 21, 1891. He was
the pastor of St. Peter's Church, at Winamac, from 1898 till
1903.

THE REV. ATHANASIUS LINGEMANN, O. F. M.

He was born August 14, 1853; entered the Order, August
25, 1874; ordained priest, June 15, 1878; assistant at St. Boni-
face's Church, Lafayette, from August 1879, to June 1881;
died at Wichita, Kansas, June 23, 1895.

THE REV. FRANCIS LORDEMANN.

He was born in Darfeld, diocese of Munster, Germany,
on January 15, 1850. He received his elementary education
and made the classical course in his native country. Having
emigrated to America in 1869, he entered St. Francis' Semi-
nary at Milwaukee, where he completed his studies. He was
ordained priest in Fort Wayne, by Bishop Dwenger, on Septem-
ber 20, 1873. His first and present appointment is that of
pastor of St. Patrick's Church at Kokomo, from which place
he also attended to Tipton as a mission. From 1874 till 1888
he attended Frankfort as a mission once a month.

THE REV. FRANCIS DE PAUL LOTZ, O. F. M.

He was born June 6, 1867; entered the Order, August 30,
1885; ordained priest, December 17, 1872; pastor in Lafayette,
from September 1900 to September 1903, at St. Boniface's
Church.

The Clergy, Continued. 143

THE REV. MICHAEL P. LOUEN.

He was born January 16, 1870, in Chicago, Illinois. He
made his classical and philosophical studies in France, and his
theological studies at St. Francis' Seminary, Milwaukee, Wis-
consin. He was ordained priest in Milwaukee, by Archbishop
Katzer, on May 28, 1899. His appointments were: Assistant
at St. Joseph's Church, Mishawaka till July 9, 1901; pastor
pro tern, at St. Mary's Church, Huntington; pastor at St.
Vincent, Allen county, and Leo, from September 1901 till
January 1, 1907; pastor at Fowler since January 1, 1907.

THE REV. JOSEPH A. LYNN.

He was born December 14, 1875, in Murnelles, County
Tirone, Archdiocese of Armagh, Ireland. He studied the
classics, philosophy and one year theology in St. Viateur's
College, Kankakee, Illinois, and completed his theology in
Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio. He was or-
dained priest, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, by Bishop
Alerding, on June 17, 1905. He was assistant priest at St.
Mary's Church, Lafayette, until February 6, 1906. He was
given the privilege to visit his native country and upon his
return, since June 24, 1906, he has been the assistant at St.
Charles' Church, at Peru.

THE REV. CHARLES E. McCABE.

He was born in Peru, Indiana, on November 14, 1875. He
made his classical studies at St. Viateur's College, Kankakee,
Illinois. He studied philosophy and theology in Mount St.
Mary's Seminary, at Cincinnati, Ohio. He was ordained priest
by Archbishop Elder, in the chapel of the Seminary, on June
16, 1899. He was assigned as assistant to St. Mary's Church,
Lafayette, from June 23, 1899 till July 10, 1901. He was
pastor of St. Bridget's, in Benton county, and the mission
Otterbein, from July 10, 1901 till January 4, 1906, when he
received his present appointment; pastor of St. Genevieve's

144 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Church, at Gas City and chaplain of St. Ignatius' Chapel of
the Marion Branch National Home for Disabled Volunteer
Soldiers.

THE REV. MEINRAD McCARTHY, O. S. B.

He was born at Monmouthshire, Ireland, February 9,
1839; ordained priest, January 20, 1869. He was the resident
pastor of Oxford, from October 1875 till October 1877, attend-
ing to the missions Fowler, Dunnington and Barrydale.

THE REV. PATRICK McDERMOTT.

He was born on March 17, 1820, at El Fin, County of
Roscommon, Ireland. His father was a well-to-do farmer.
He graduated in 1843, at the College of Maynooth. His
brother, the Rev. John McDermott, laboring in the missions
of Indiana, induced him to emigrate. He was ordained priest
on December 21, 1843, by Bishop de la Hailandiere. In 1847,
he was assigned to Lagro, attending also Huntington. In
1848, he was given Logansport and Peru, where he remained
until December 1852. From here he also attended to the
stations Pulaski and Indian Creek, from 1848 till 1850. He
had attracted attention in the wilds of the North and was
called to Evansville to assist Rev. Anthony Deydier. He
remained in the diocese of Vincennes, dying at Indianapolis,
on September 13, 1882. His body now rests in the St. Joseph's
cemetery at Indianapolis.

THE REV. MOSES A. McGARRY, C. S. C, D. D.

He was born on February 25, 1846, in Inverness County
Cape Breton, N. S. He came to the United States when a boy.
In 1869 he was sent from Boston to Montreal to complete his
classical and philosophical studies. He entered the Congre-
gation of Holy Cross in 1872, and took the vows on December
25, 1873. Having completed the study of theology, he was

The Clergy, Continued. 145

ordained a priest by the Most Rev. Charles Edward Fabre,
Archbishop of Montreal, on September 21, 1875. After his
ordination he was professor in the classical course till 1895, in
which year he was made the president of his Alma Mater.
He held this position for nine years, when he taught moral
theology during two years, at Holy Cross College, Washington
D. C. Since August 1906 he has been the rector of the Sacred
Heart Church, at Notre Dame, Indiana,

THE REV. JOHN McMAHON.

He visited Delphi, Reynolds, Francisville, Medaryville
and Anderson, from Lafayette in 1860. He had charge of St.
Mary's Church at Union City, from 1862 till 1867. He died at
Reynolds, on May 28, 1872. His remains rest at Lafayette.

THE REV. ALOYSIUS MALIN, C. PP. S.

He was born at Mauren, diocese of Brixen, May 10, 1853;
came to America, October 16, 1865, ordained priest at Cin-
cinnati, Ohio, June 24, 1876. He attended the mission Port-
land on two Sundays of every month, from December 1878 till
May 1882.

THE REV. ROMAN A. MARCINIAK, C. S. C.

He was born in New York City, on July 17, 1873. He
attended the parochial school of St. Hedwig's, at South Bend.
Having completed the course of studies at Notre Dame, he
entered the Community of the Holy Cross in 1893. In the
Catholic University at Washington, he made his philosophical
and theological studies. On September 8, 1897, Bishop Rade-
macher ordained him priest ,at Notre Dame. He was appointed
assistant at St. Hedwig's Church, South Bend, where he re-
mained one year. During two years after this, he was stationed
at Holy Trinity Church, at Chicago, as assistant. In 1900 he
was appointed pastor of St. Stanislaus' Church, at South Bend,
which position he holds at the present time.

146 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. JOHN A. MARK.

He was born at Acholshausen, near Wuerzburg, Bavaria,
Germany, on April 1, 1820. He studied the classics in his
native place, philosophy at the University of Wuerzburg,
theology in that same University, and also in All Hallows'
College, Archdiocese of Dublin, and in the Diocesan Seminary
of Halifax. He was ordained priest, on August 6, 1852, by
Archbishop Walsh, of Halifax, where he labored until the year
1860, when Bishop Yuncker received him into the diocese of
Alton. Bishop Dwenger accepted him for the diocese of Fort
Wayne, in 1876. His appointments were: Pastor of Attica,
with Covington as a mission, from 1876 till 1880; pastor of
Hesse Cassel, from 1880 till 1897, when he resigned on account
of his advanced age and accepted the position of chaplain in
St. Joseph's Hospital, at Logansport. Here he died November
20, 1904.

THE RT. REV. AUGUST MARY MARTIN, D. D.

He was born, February 2, 1803, at Breton, St. Malo,
diocese of Rennes, France; ordained by Bishop Segney of
Rennes, in 1828. He was pastor of St. Vincent de Paul's
Church, Logansport, from 1841 to 1844. He visited Lafayette
from Logansport occasionally about 1841. He was consecrated
Bishop of Natchitoches, Louisiana, in the Cathedral at New
Orleans, by Archbishop Blanc, assisted by Bishops Portier and
Van de Velde, on November 30, 1853. He died at Natchi-
toches, September 29, 1875.

THE REV. CONSTANTINE MAUJAY.

He was born June 14, 1849, in Angers, France, where he
also made all his studies. As Deacon, he came to America
and was ordained priest on January 1, 1872, at Wheeling,
West Virginia, by Bishop Whelan. In April 1873, he came to
the diocese of Fort Wayne and was appointed pastor of St.
Vincent's, Allen county. In 1876, he was made pastor of St.

■ The Clergy, Continued. 147

Louis' Church, at Besancon and remained for two years. He
was assistant at Avilla and at St". Mary's Church, Lafayette.
From the latter place he was sent to Fowler, where he remained,
from June 1882 to May 1889, attending also Earl Park. In
1889, he went to the diocese of Concordia, Kansas, but returned
to Fort Wayne in 1894, and was appointed pastor of Portland,
with Albany, Geneva, Red Key and Ridgeville as missions.
Owing to defective eye-sight, he resigned in 1901 and entered
the convent of the Fathers of Mercy in Brooklyn, New York.
He returned, however, to the diocese of Fort Wayne and was
chaplain for a short time at the Kneipp Sanitarium, Rome
City. He died at St. Francis' Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, on
February 1, 1906. His remains rest in the cemetery at Cin-
cinnati.

THE REV. DOMINIC MEIER, O. F. M.

He was born at Covington, Kentucky, September 2, 1851;
ordained priest, at Louisville, Kentucky, December 19, 1874.
He attended Attica, from May 1875 till April 1876, residing
at Lafayette. He also had charge of Reynolds in 1876. At
present he is pastor of St. Anthony's Church, Streator, Illinois.

THE REV. A. M. MEILI.

He was born at Zurich, diocese of Chur, Switzerland, on
March 8, 1840. He was ordained priest, on February 27, 1870.
He was assistant priest at St. Joseph's Church, Logansport
until 1872. He also attended Monroeville sometime between
the years 1872 and 1884. Later he was a priest of the Kansas
City, Kansas, diocese.

THE REV. HENRY MEISSNER.

He was born in Munster, Westphalia, Germany, on Decem-
ber 3, 1842. Having made his classical course in the Govern-
ment College, at Munster, and one year of philosophy and

14S The Diocese oj Fort Wayne.

theology in the University of the same place, he emigrated to
America, where he landed. November 6, 1866. He entered the
Sulpician Seminarv, Baltimore, and was ordained priest, on
June 30, 1868. His first appointment was that of assistant at
A%illa. On September 13th, of the same year, he was sent to
Goshen and from there to Crovsn Point, where he remained for
five vears. From here he attended to Dyer as a mission, from
September to December 1871. He had charge of Schererville,
from 1874 until September 13, 1875, when he took charge of
St. Charles' Church at Peru. He \isited England, Ireland,
France, Germany, Holland and Italy in 1884. Whilst in Rome,
he had an audience with Pope Leo XIII, who authorized him
to give the ApostoHc Benediction to his congregation. He
departed this life on July 2nd, and was buried July 4, 1902, in
St. Charles' Cemetery, Peru.

THE RE\'. ANTHONY MESS.MANN.

He was bom on December 11, 1839, in Steinfeld, Olden-
burg, diocese of Munster, Germany. At the age of twenty,
he emigrated to .America. Ha\ing completed the fourth year
of his classical course. Bishop Luers adopted him for the
diocese of Fort Wayne, and in 1866 sent him to Notre Dame
University for the study of philosophy. In 1867, he was sent
to .Mount St. Mary's of the West, Cincinnati, Ohio, for the study
of theolog}'. Bishop Luers ordained him priest, on January 6,
1870, in St. John's Church, Cincinnati. He was assistant at
St. \'incent's Church, Logansport, from January 22, till April
3, 1870. His other appointments are the following: He was
pastor at Kentland, from .\pril 1870 to December 1880. While
residing at Kentland, he also attended to Remington, Earl
Park, St. Anthony's, and Goodland. He was pastor of St.
Peter's Church, Fort Wayne, from December 1880 to July
1896; and pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Laporte, since July
9, 1896.

The CUrzy, Coniinmd. 149

THE REW CHARLES MEYER. C. PP. S.

He was bom at Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 25, 1856 ; ordained
priest at Cincinnati, May 30, 1885. He was pastor pro tern, at
Kentland sometime between December 10, 1902, and Februan.-
13, 1903.

THE RE\'. J. THOMAS MEYER, C. PP. S.

He was bom at Minster, Ohio, July 25. 1569. He spent
about ten years in St. Charles' Seminar}', at Carthagena. Ohio.
He joined the C. PP. S. and was ordained priest, on April 26,
1895. His first appointment was at Reed, Seneca county,
Ohio, from May 10, 1895 till March 10, 1896; after which he
was sent to Sedalia, Missouri, where he had charge of five
missions. In September 1899 he was sent to Rensselaer,
Indiana.

THE REW JULIAN MEYER. C. PP. S.

He was bom August 2S. 1S7S. at Weingarten. Wuertem-
berg, Germanv; entered the Congregation of the Most Precious
Blood. .August 15, 1891; ordained priest at Carthagena. Ohio,
by Bishop Moeller of Columbus. December 17, 1902. He was
the pastor of Pulaski for six weeks, in October and November
of 1903.

THE REW WILLIAM CASPAR MILLER.

The son of William M. and Mar>- J. (.Ackermann") Miller,
was bom at Lafayette. Indiana, on Januar\- 16. 1S69. to which
place his parents had moved from St. Joseph's Parish. Qn-
cinnati. Ohio, in the wake of Bishop Luers. who had been
consecrated for the diocese of Fort Wa\ne. Thev became

150 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

pioneer members of St. Boniface's Church, at Lafayette. Young
Miller attended St. Boniface's school until his thirteenth year
of age. Evidences to the vocation of priesthood manifested
themselves and with the accomplishment of this end in view,
he entered St. Francis' Gymnasium, at Cincinnati, Ohio, and
later St. Gregory Preparatory Seminary, Cedar Point, Ohio,
where he completed his classical course. His philosophical and
theological courses were made at Mount St. Mary's of the West
Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio. He was ordained priest by Bishop
Alerding, in the Cathedral, at Fort Wayne, on May 24, 1902.
After his ordination, he enjoyed the privilege of an European
trip, visiting Rome, and having audiences with Pope Leo XIII,
on August 2nd, and 7th. During the illness of Rev. Dominic
Duehmig, he had charge of the parish at Avilla, where he
remained from October 1, 1902 to February 1, 1903. He was
then made assistant to Rev. John Bleckmann, pastor of St.
Mary's Church, Michigan City. On August 28, 1906, he was
transferred to the Bishop's House in Fort Wayne, where his
time is divided between the work of an assistant at the Cathedral
and of clerical work under the Bishop's direction.

THE REV. WILLIAM CONRAD MILLER.

He was born in Heimersheim, diocese of Treves, Germany,
on July 11, 1857. He studied the classics at the Gymnasium
of his native country, emigrating to the United States, in Decem-
ber 1877. Having made his philosophical and theological
studies at Mount St Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio, and
partly at St. Meinrad's Seminary, Indiana, he was ordained
priest, in Fort Wayne, by Bishop Dwenger, on September 24,
1881. His appointments were: Pastor of Nix Settlement and
its mission Roanoke, from October 1881 till March 31, 1883;
pastor of Kentland, from March 31, 1883 till September 1891,
attending Goodland as a mission, from 1883 till 1888; pastor
of Areola and its mission, Pierceton, from 1891 till 1895;
pastor of Oxford and its mission Barrydale, from June 1895
till July 1901; pastor of Oxford without mission, from July
1901 till October 6, 1906; irremovable rector of SS. Peter and
Paul's Church, Huntington, since October 6, 1906.

The Clergy, Continued. 151

THE REV. J. OTTO M4SLER, C. PP. S.

He was born at Bellevue, Ohio, March 13, 1857; ordained
priest at Carthagena, Ohio, June 8, 1882. He attended Port-
land, as a mission, on two Sundays of every month, from
February till November 1885. He was pastor of St. Peter's
Church, Winamac, from 1887 till 1897.

THE REV. LOUIS A. MOENCH.

He was born, on January 25, 1853, in Freudenberg, Baden,
Archdiocese of Freiburg, Germany. He came to America in
1867 and resided with Father Duehmig at Avilla, until he
entered St. Francis' Seminary, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where
he completed his studies. He was ordained priest by Bishop
Dwenger, June 10, 1876 and was sent to Avilla as assistant,
until April 1879, attending also the neighboring missions.
After this, he was assistant at the Cathedral, Fort Wayne, for
eight months. He was pastor of Lebanon, with its missions,
from November 1879 to January 1, 1882. He was assistant
at St. Mary's Church, Fort Wayne, until February 6, 1883.
From that date until July 26, 1898, he was pastor of St. Michael's
Church, Plymouth. Having been pastor of St. Paul's Church,
Valparaiso, from July 26, 1898, till February 1903, he was
appointed the Vicarius, and on June 29th, of the same year,
irremovable rector of St. Joseph's Church, Mishawaka. He is
a member of the Diocesan Building Committee, and School
Board,

THE REV. LEO MOLENGRAFT, O. F. M.

He was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, December 7, 1862;
ordained priest, at Cincinnati, January 6, 1888. He attended
the station, Frankfort from Lafayette, from 1888 to 1890.

THE REV. DENIS J. MULCAHY.

He was born on May 7, 1860, in Greenock, Archdiocese
of Glasgow, Scotland. In 1863, his parents emigrated to the
United States and located in Cleveland, Ohio, where he received

152 The Diocese of Fort Wayne. ■

his elementary education in the parochial school. His classical
studies were made in Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati,
Ohio, as well as, his philosophy, completing his theology in
the Salesianum at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, until March 8, 1884,
when he was ordained priest, by Bishop Dwenger, in Fort
Wayne. His appointments were: Assistant at St. Mary's
Church, Lafayette, from March 19, 1884 to August 20th, of
the same year; pastor of Lebanon and missions, from August
20, 1884 to October 22, 1886; pastor of Grass Creek and
Lucerne, from November 1, 1886 to May 1, 1891; pastor of
St. Mary's Church, Anderson, since May 7, 1891. He is a
member of the Diocesan Building Committee.

THE REV. EDWARD J. MUNGOVAN.

He was born at Fort Wayne, Indiana, on December 19,
1876. He studied the classics in St. Joseph's College, .near
Rensselaer, philosophy and theology in Mount St. Mary's
Seminary, at Cincinnati. He was ordained priest, in the
Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on May 24, 1902 by Bishop Alerding.
His first appointment was that of assistant in St. Patrick's
Church at Fort Wayne. Since June 8, 1907, he is the pastor
of Areola and its mission, Pierceton.

THE REV. THOMAS A. MUNGOVAN.

He was born at Fort Wayne, Indiana, on June 13, 1874.
Having attended the parochial school of his native parish, he
entered St. Vincent's College, West Moreland county, Pennsyl-
vania, for the study of the classics. He began and completed
philosophy and theology in Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cin-
cinnati, and was ordained priest, for the diocese of Fort Wayne,
by Archbishop Elder, in the Seminary Chapel, on June 16,
1899. He was assistant at St. Patrick's Church, Fort Wayne,
till May 24, 1902, when he was appointed the first pastor of a
congregation to be organized in Indiana Harbor. He is still
the pastor of St. Patrick's Church of that place.

The Clergy, Continued. 153

THE REV. ALPHONSE MUNSCHINA.

He was born at Strassburg, France, on May 16, 1815;
came to America in 1839; ordained priest, February 19, 1843.
He was assistant to Father Benoit at St. Augustine's Ciiurch,
Fort Wayne, his name appearing on the records of the Cathedral
from December 15, 1844 to February 15, 1846. From here
he attended to the CathoHcs in and about Avilla, at Decatur
and Hesse Cassel. Later he labored in the diocese of Vincennes.
He died November 2, 1898.

THE REV. JOSEPH MUTCH.

He was born at Michigan City, on June 13, 1880. He
attended the parochial school of his native city; made his
classics at St. Joseph's College, near Rensselaer; philosophy
and theology at Mt. St. Mary's Seminary, Cedar Point, Ohio.
Having completed his studies, he was ordained priest, by Bishop
Alerding, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on June 22, 1906.
He received the appointment of assistant at St. Mary's Church,
Lafayette, on the day of his ordination.

THE REV. JOHN A. NAGELEISEN, C. PP. S.

He was born at Piqua, Ohio, August 27, 1861; ordained
priest. May 30, 1885. He was the pastor of Holy Trinity
Church, in Jay county, from 1888 till 1892, attending to Port-
land as a mission, on two Sundays of every month, from
March to July 1888.

THE REV. STANISLAUS NEIBERG, C. PP. S.

He was born at Loramie, Ohio, April 15, 1860; ordained
priest, at Carthagena, Ohio, March 17, 1889. He was the pastor
of St. Augustine's Church, Rensselaer, from July 1891 till
September 1896. At the same time, he was a professor at St.
Joseph's College.

154 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. PIUS NIEHAUS, O. F. M.

He was born November 26, 1853; entered the Order,
August 25, 1869; ordained priest, December 20, 1876; assistant
at St. Boniface's Church, Lafayette, in August 1886; pastor
of the same church, from September 1887 to August 1890;
chaplain at St. Anthony's Home for the Aged, at Lafayette,
since August 1906.

THE REV. FRANCIS XAVIER NIGH.

He was born at Gersau, Switzerland, diocese of Chur, on
July 26, 1811. He was ordained priest, on October 2, 1834,
and emigrated to the United States, on November 1, 1854.
In the year 1855, he built a little frame church, about two
and one-half miles north-west of Monterey, on the banks of
the Tippecanoe river. He was the first resident pastor at
Pulaski, from 1858 to 1862, residing with a private family and
having Indian Creek, Winamac, Monterey, Turkey Creek,
Crown Point, Klaasville and Kewanna in his charge. Later
he bacame a priest of the diocese of Chicago.

THE REV. FRANK NIGSCH, C. PP. S.

He was born May 24, 1846, at Blons, a village near Feld-
kirch, in Tyrol. He came to America, October 1866, made
his studies at Carthagena, Ohio, and was ordained priest in
Cincinnati, Ohio, January 25, 1872. Some of his first pastoral
charges were, Cassella, Ohio, and Weston, Missouri. Later
he was appointed pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Wapako-
neta, Ohio. Then followed his pastorates of St. John's Church,
Glandorf, and St. John's Church, Maria-Stein, Ohio. From
the latter place, he was sent to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he
labored, from October 12, 1897 till January 19, 1903, becoming
the founder of the present flourishing Congregation of the Most
Precious Blood.

The Clergy, Continued. 155

THE REV. CHRISTIAN NIGSH, C. PP. S.

He was born at Feldkirch, Vorarlberg, diocese of Brixen,
Germany, January 26, 1843; came to America, May 20, 1870;
ordainfed priest, April 17, 1878. He was the pastor of St.
Peter's Church, Winamac, from 1880 till 1885, attending
Schimmels and Monterey for a time.

THE REV. JOHN F. NOLL.

He was born in Fort Wayne, on January 25, 1875, was
educated at the Cathedral Brothers' School, until he was
thirteen years of age, when he went to St. Lawrence's College,
Mount Calvary, Wisconsin to study for the priesthood. After
spending five years there, he went to Mount St. Mary's Semi-
nary, Cincinnati, Ohio, for the study of philosophy and theology.
He was ordained priest, by Bishop Rademacher. in the Cathedral
at Fort Wayne, on June 4, 1898. His first appointment was
that of assistant to Rev. Henry Boeckelmann, at Elkhart, then
he was sent to assist Rev. B. Kroeger, at Logansport, from
December 1898 to February 1899. From February 1899 to
June 1902, he was the pastor of Ligonier and missions. In
June 1902, Bishop Alerding transferred him to Besancon, where
he labored until July 11, 1906, when he was sent to Hartford
City, with Montpelier for a mission. The work of giving
missions to non-Catholics was also entrusted to Father Noll,
to engage in the same when time and circumstances permit.
A pamphlet, entitled "Kind Words from Your Pastor," of
which Father Noll is the author has won for itself a wide cir-
culation, and is used especially for distribution at missions.

THE REV. MARTIN F. NOLL.

He was born, July 19, 1849, and studied the classics in
St. Francis' Seminary, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Being too young
for the seminary, he was the teacher and organist at Valparaiso
for four years. Having completed his studies of philosophy
and theology in Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio,

156 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

he was ordained priest by Bishop Dwenger, in 1872. He had
charge of Union City for three years, next he was transferred
to Elkhart and Goshen, from 1875 till 1880. While pastor at
Union City, he attended to Dunkirk as a station. In 1880,
Bishop Dwenger appointed him pastor of St. Mary's Church,
Lafayette, where he died on June 14, 1880. His remains rest
in the cemetery at Fort Wayne.

THE REV. CHARLES NOTHEIS, C. PP. S.

He was born at Berlin, Shelby county, Ohio, July 20,1866;
entered the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood, May 14,
1884; ordained priest, at Cincinnati, Ohio, by Archbishop Elder,
June 21, 1893. He was pastor of St. Augustine's Church,
Rensselaer, from June till September 1899.

THE REV. LEONARD NURRE, O. F. M.

He was born J anuary 7, 1 854 ; entered the Order, September
8, 1870; ordained priest, December 8, 1876; assistant in Lafay-
ette, from April 1877 to August 1879; pastor, since September
1903, at St. Boniface's Church, Lafayette.

THE REV. JOSEPH NUSSBAUM.

He was born at Rimbach, Saxony, diocese of Paderborn,
September 30, 1832. He was ordained priest at Paderborn,
on April 5, 1859. He came to America, on January 23, 1869.
He was the first resident pastor at Hesse Cassel, from 1873 to
1877, having charge also of Sheldon as a mission. He was the
pastor of St. Mary's Church, Decatur, from February 1877
till July 20, 1880, when he succeeded Father Oechtering, as
pastor of St. Joseph's Church, at Laporte. He departed this
life at Laporte, on December 26, 1895. Father Nussbaum was
a straight forward and outspoken man. He is buried at
Laporte.

The Clergy, Continued. 157

THE REV. JOHN OBERHOLZ.

He was born in Stappenburg, Archdiocese of Cologne,
Germany, April 13, 1864. He studied the classics in Steele,
Germany, and Berlin, Ontario, Canada, and at the latter place
also philosophy. He made his theological studies, at Mount
St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio, and was ordained priest
by Bishop Alerding, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on June
17, 1905. He received the appointment of assistant at St.
Charles' Church, Peru, remaining till June 24, 1906, when he
made a visit to Europe. He was the assistant at St. Mary's
Church, Michigan City, from September 1, 1906, till June 8,
1907, when he was made pastor of Wanatah and its mission,
Schimmels.

THE REV. AUGUST BERNARD OECHTERING.

He was born in Rheine, diocese of Munster, Westphalia,
on September 8, 1837, the youngest son of Gerhard H, and
Teresa (Benningmeier) Oechtering. In 1858, he completed
his collegiate studies in the college of Rheine and a few months
after his graduation, July 30, 1858, emigrated to America.
Bishop Luers sent him to Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cin-
cinnati, Ohio, for his theological studies and on May 17, 1861,
ordained him a priest in the Cathedral at Eort Wayne. His
first appointment was that of pastor of Delphi and contiguous
missions, from May 26, 1861, to December 22, 1865. In 1864,
he accompanied Bishop Luers to Europe, where he spent six
months. He was pastor of St. Mary's Church, Avilla, from
December 22, 1865 till May 12, 1867, attending also to Ege as
a mission. He was pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Mishawaka,
from May 12, 1867 to the time of his death, which occurred in
St. Joseph's Hospital, Fort Wayne, on December 27, 1898.
He made a second trip to Europe, in 1875, visiting Rome,
where he had an audience with Pius IX. He was a member
of the Diocesan School Board. A man of heroic faith, strong
physically as well as mentally. Father Oechtering labored
unceasingly and unselfishly for the spiritual welfare of the flock
committed to his care. In the hour of his death, his memory

158 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

turned to his dear mother and his last request was, that, when
dead, his body be robed in the alb made for him by his mother.
Another request of his was, that no sermon be preached at his
funeral and no monument be erected over his grave. His
wish has been respected.

THE REV. EDWARD O'FLAHERTY.

He was the first resident pastor at Crawfordsville, from
1856 till the date of his death, on August 8, 1864, at the age of
forty-five years and seven months. His remains rest in the
cemetery at Lafayette.

THE REV. BEDE OLDEGEERING, O. P. M.

He was born September 15, 1856; entered the Order,
August 26, 1878; ordained priest, August 12, 1883; assistant
in Lafayette, from May 1901 to November 1902, at St. Boni-
face's Church.

THE REV. THOMAS M. O'LEARY.

He was the son of Thomas and Honora (Lawler) O'Leary.
His father was a native of Ardfert, County Kerry, while his
mother was born in the village of Banna, in the same county,
Ireland. He was born, June 8, 1854, at Lafayette, Indiana.
Upon the death of his mother, he was cared for by Father
O'Reilly, of Valparaiso, until he entered Notre Dame Univer-
sity, where he remained several years. His farther education
and theological studies were made at St. Francis' Seminary,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and St. Meinrad's Abbey, in Spencer
county, Indiana. On January 26, 1885, Bishop Rademacher
of Nashville, Tennessee, ordained Father O'Leary priest at St.
Mary's Church in Fort Wayne, at which time Monsignore
Benoit's remains lay in state at the Cathedral. From the time
of his ordination Father O'Leary was assistant at the Cathedral
until he was appointed pastor of the new St. Patrick's Parish

The Clergy, Continued. 159

in Fort Wayne. He departed this life, on October 24, 1889,
all too soon, being but a few months over thirty-five years of
age at the time of his death. He was a priest of character,
dignity and genuine ability. His remains rest in the cemetery
at Fort Wayne.

THE REV. MICHAEL O'REILLY.

He was the pastor of Valparaiso, from 1864 until August
4, 1887, the date of his death. His remains rest in the cemetery
at Valparaiso.

THE REV. PETER J. O'REILLY.

He was born at Rutland Center, Vermont, on April 25,
1875. His classical studies were made at Seton Hall College,
philosophy at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Baltimore, Mary-
land, and theology at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati,
Ohio. He was ordained priest by Bishop Rademacher, in the
Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on December 19, 1897. His appoint-
ments were: Assistant at St. Mary's, Lafayette, until Septem-
ber 1898; pastor of Frankfort, and missions, from September
10, 1898 to June 1899; assistant at the Cathedral of Fort Wayne,
from June 1899 to January 1902, when he left the diocese of
Fort Wayne.

THE REV. HENRY A. FAANAKKER, C. S. C.

He was born in Harlem, Holland, on January 12, 1864;
received the habit, August 15, 1894; professed August 15, 1896;
ordained priest, by Bishop Rademacher, August 19, 1896. He
was appointed pastor of the Belgian Catholics residing in South
Bend, where he organized the Sacred Heart Congregation and
Church in 1896. Owing to ill health and the hope of effecting
his recovery, he was removed to Austin, Texas, where he died
February 12, 1906.

160 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. LOUIS RAPHAEL PAQUET.

He was born April 24, 1865, at Quebec, Canada He
made his studies at the Petit Seminaire de Quebec, Nicolet
College and the Grand Seminaire de Montreal. He was ordained
priest by Bishop Zardetti at St. Francis, Wisconsin, for the
Archdiocese of New Orleans, in June 1893. Having been
adopted in the diocese of Fort Wayne, he was given charge of
St. Rose's Church, Monroeville, on January 8, 1896. He was
pastor of Fairmount, from September 2, 1900 till January 1,
1901; assistant at Muncie, from February 16th, till October
1901; assistant at Anderson, from October 1901 till June 1902;
pastor of Portland and missions, from July 1902 till February
1904; assistant at St. Paul's Church, Fort Wayne, from March
1905 till May 30, 1906; chaplain at St. Vincent's Orphan
Asylum, residing at St. Paul's, from May 30, 1906, till April
1, 1907, since which date he is the resident chaplain of the St.
Vincent's Orphan Asylum.

THE REV. BENJAMIN MARY PETIT.

He was born in the year 1811, a native of Rennes, France.
From his earliest years his piety and charity had been the joy
of his mother and the edification of all. After distinguishing
himself at the school of his native town, he applied himself to
the study of law; being admitted to the bar, he practiced law
for a year or two and towards the close of 1835, he felt him-
self called to the life of a missionary. Bishop Brute of Vin-
cennes visiting at Rennes met him and he at once communi-
cated to the Bishop his resolution. In the summer of 1836
he emigrated to America; and on October 14, 1837, was or-
dained priest by Bishop Brute, sooner than he expected in
consequence of the death of Father De Seille. Writing to his
mother he says: "I am now a priest, and the hand which is
writing to you has this day borne Jesus Christ. How can I
express to you all I would wish to say, and yet how shall I
not attempt to say something on a subject on which no tongue
can adequately dwell? My hand is now consecrated to God;
my voice has a power which God Himself obeys. How my

The Clergy, Continued. 161

lips trembled this morning at roy first Mass, when, at the
Memento, I recommended you all to God! and tomorrow I
shall do the same, and after tomorrow, and every day of my
life. Within two days I start hence all alone on a journey of
three hundred miles, and yet not alone, for I shall journey in
company with my God, whom 1 shall carry on my bosom day
and night, and shall convey with me the instruments of the
Great Sacrifice, halting from time to time in the depth of the
forest, and converting, the hut of some poor Catholic into the
palace of the King of Glory. My heart is so light, so happy,
so contented, that 1 am a wonder to myself. From Mass to
Mass — to go forward even to heaven! You recollect that I
often said I was born happy. I can say the same still. 1 had
always desired a mission amongst the savages; there is but one
such in Indiana, and it is 1, whom the Pottawottamies call
their "father black robe." He accompanied the Indians ban-
ished westward by the Government and on his return, died at
St. Louis, February 10, 1839. His remains were brought to
Notre Dame, by Father Sorin, in 1856.

THE REV. HENRY M. PLASTER.

He is the son of Bernard and Catharine (Schmitz) Plaster,
born in Dubuque, Iowa, on March 31, 1853. He entered St.
Francis' Seminary, Wisconsin, on February 1, 1873, and was
ordained priest, by Bishop Dwenger, in the Cathedral at Fort
Wayne, on December 12, 1879. He was the pastor of Attica,
Covington and several missions and stations, until August 15,
1885, since which time, he has been the pastor of St. Joseph's
Church, Hammond. He was the first priest to celebrate Mass
in East Chicago, in the Todd Opera House, in 1890. Father
Plaster is a Diocesan Consultor.

THE REV. ROBERT J. PRATT.

He was born in Johnstown, Ohio, November 19, 1864, a
son of Dr. B. W. and Jane M. (Bean) Pratt, natives of Vermont.
On March 19, 1885, he was received into the Catholic Church

162 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

by Rev. D. A. Clark at Columbus, Ohio. He made his classi-
cal course at St. Charles' College, EUicott City, Maryland and
at St. Viateur's College, Kankakee, Illinois. He studied phi-
losophy and theology at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati,
Ohio and was ordained priest for the diocese of Fort Wayne,
by Archbishop Elder of Cincinnati, on June 18, 1894. His
appointments have been: Assistant at St. Mary's, Lafayette,
from July 2, 1894 till June 28, 1895; pastor of St. Patrick's
Church, Areola, from June 29, 1895 till January 30, 1900;
pastor of St. Bernard's Church, Wabash, since January 30, 1900.

THE REV. JOHN R. QUINLAN.

He was born in Valparaiso, Indiana, on April 19, 1858.
He made his studies in St. Francis' Seminary, Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, and was ordained priest there, by Bishop Richter
of Grand Rapids, Michigan, on June 22, 1890. His appoint-
ments were: Assistant at the Cathedral, Fort Wayne, during
seven years and seven months; pastor of St. Mary's Church,
Huntington, till March, 1901; pastor of the Cathedral at Fort
Wayne, till May 16, 1901, since which time, he has been the
pastor of St. Mary's Church, at Huntington.

THE REV. WILLIAM J. QUINLAN.

He was born in Syracuse, New York, on April 16, 1864.
He studied the classics at Valparaiso and in St. Lawrence's
College, Calvary, Wisconsin, and his philosophy and theology,
in St. Francis' Seminary, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was
ordained priest by Bishop Dwenger, in the Cathedral at Fort
Wayne, on June 29, 1888. He was pastor of Areola with
Pierceton as a mission, till August 20, 1891; was assistant at
the Cathedral in Fort Wayne, during which time he had charge
of Besancon, till January 4, 1894, when he was made pastor
of Marion. On April 14, 1906, he was transferred to St. Ber-
nard's Church, Crawfordsville.

The Clergy, Continued. 163

THE REV. PETER JOSEPH QUINN.

He was born at Gortinderragh, County Tyrone, Ireland,
on June 29, 1866, a son of Michael and Margareth (McGladrigan)
Quinn. He was one of nine children, one of these, John Quinn,
is now Canon of a church in County Derry, and was private
secretary to Cardinal Logue, during the conclave that elected
Pius X. Father Quinn received his elementary education in
his native parish. He studied the classics in St. Patrick's
College, at Armagh. He emigrated to America, in 1888, where
he entered St. Viateur's College, at Kankakee, Illinois. He
was adopted into the diocese of Fort Wayne, in 1892, and was
sent to Mount St. Mary's Seminary at Cincinnati, for the study
of philosophy and theology. Archbishop Elder ordained him
priest on June 18, 1897. He was the assistant to Rev. John
R. Dinnen, pastor of St. Mary's at Lafayette, from July 1, 1897
to January 1, 1898, when he was appointed pastor of St.
Patrick's Church at Lagro.

THE REV. BALTHASAR RACHOR.

He was born at Zellhausen, diocese of Mentz, Germany,
November 25, 1834; came to America in 1854; ordained priest.
May 23, 1858. He was the pastor of St. John, from September
1, 1858 till October 1866, when to recuperate his health, he
made a trip to Europe and sojourned there for over two years;
upon his return, he continued at St. John, from November
1868 till October 1870. From here he also attended Klaasville
as a mission, from 1863 till 1866.

THE REV. ELIGIUS RACZYNSKI, C. S. C.

He was born December 1, 1868, in Poland; received the
habit, December 8, 1891; professed, January 3, 1894; ordained
priest, at Fort Wayne, by Bishop Rademacher, January 6,
1894. He was the pastor of St. Casimir's Church, South Bend,
from April 11, 1899 till June 11, 1902, the date of his death.

164 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. BENEDICT M. RAJCANY.

He was born in Galgocz, Hungary, on February 2, 1869.
He was ordained priest, as a member of the Franciscan Order,
in Tirnau, by Bishop Balthizar, on January 23, 1892. At the
invitation of Bishop Rademacher, he emigrated to the diocese
of Fort Wayne, where he was appointed pastor of the St. John
the Baptist's, Slavo Hungarian Congregation, in North Ham-
mond, on April 17, 1897. He was secularized and received
into the diocese of Fort Wayne, in December 1902. He also
has charge of the mission of the Holy Trinity Church, in East
Chicago. His services are much in demand by his countrymen
in different places of this country.

THE REV. URBAN RASZKIEWICZ.

He was born in Szante, Lithuania, Russian Poland, on
July 23, 1823. He made all his studies in Wladislaw, Poland,
where he was ordained priest on September 8, 1848, a member
of the Franciscan Order. From the time of his ordination till
his emigration to the United States, he resided at different
monasteries of his Order in Russian and Prussian Poland. He
suffered much, even imprisonment, during the so called Kultur-
kampf. Recommended by His Eminence Cardinal Ledechow-
ski, and at the solicitation of Bishop Dwenger, he emigrated
and came to the diocese of Fort Wayne, where he was appointed
pastor of St. Mary's Church at Otis, in August 1881. In view
of services rendered the diocese among its Polish population.
Bishop Dwenger conferred upon him the title of "Dean of the
Poles." Although advanced in years Father Raszkiewicz is
still at his post.

THE REV. AUGUST REICHERT, C. PP. S.

He was born at Nersloch, Baden, Archdiocese of Freiburg,
Germany, February 22, 1 83 1 ; came to America in 1 834 ; ordained
priest, November 21, 1853. When Bishop Dwenger gave the
Congregation of the Most Precious Blood charge of Winamac,

The Clergy, Continued. 165

Father Reichert was sent there in 1873, but remained only a
few months. During his stay at Winamac, he attended Pulaski
and Indian Creek.

THE REV. HENRY RENSON.

He was born at Westerloh, Prussia, diocese of Osnabrueck,
on March 28, 1807; ordained priest, June 6, 1836; came to
America in 1848. He was the resident pastor of Klaasville,
from 1866 till 1869. He succeeded the Rev. M. P. Wehrle in
visiting Hanover Centre. He died in a hospital at Cincinnati,
Ohio.

THE REV. PAUL REUTER, C. PP. S.

He was born at Hohenroth, diocese of Wuerzburg, Ger-
many, June 24, 1831; came to America, July 6, 1858; ordained
priest, September 4, 1859. He was the pastor of Holy Trinity
Church, in Jay county, from 1871 till 1876. Residing at St.
Mary's Home, near New Corydon, he had charge of the mission,
Portland, which he reached on horse-back and where he cele-
brated Mass on week days, from the year 1873 till 1876.

THE REV. JACOB RINGELE, C. PP. S.

He was born at Doettingen, Switzerland, diocese of Solo-
thurn, in 1806; ordained priest, December 21, 1842; came to
America, December 31, 1843. He was the pastor of Holy
Trinity Church, in Jay county, from 1866 till 1869.

THE REV. BONNET ROCHE, C. S. C.

He was born on January 6, 1832 at Aubait (Puy-de-Dome),
France, he made his classical studies in the College at Rion,
and his theological studies at the same place. Having entered
the Congregation of the Holy Cross at Les Maus, he was ordained

166 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

priest, on June 18, 1859. In 1860, he did missionary work in
Eastern Bengal, India, and continued there for seventeen years.
In 1877, he emigrated to Notre Dame, and shortly after, he
took charge of St. Vincent de Paul's Church, in Allen county,
from 1878 to 1888. He returned to India, and died at Solepore,
on August 12, 1897, aged sixty-five years.

THE REV. PATRICK F. ROCHE.

He was born in Rochester, New York, March 15, 1852.
He studied the classics at St. Charles, Maryland, philosophy
and theology at St. Bonaventure's, Alleghany, New York. He
was ordained priest, by Bishop Dwenger, in the Cathedral
at Fort Wayne, on June 11, 1881. He was assistant at St.
Mary's Church, Lafayette, from 1882 to 1884; pastor of Lagro
and Andrews, from 1884 to August 24, 1888; pastor of St.
Ann's Church, Lafayette, from 1888 to May 16, 1901, when
he was appointed pastor of the Cathedral, Fort Wayne, where
he is at present.

THE REV. CHARLES M. ROMER, C. PP. S.

He was born at Nagenstadt, diocese of Rottenburg, Ger-
many, June 9, 1856; came to America, April 2, 1875; ordained
priest, by Bishop Dwenger in the Cathedral, at Fort Wayne,
June 19, 1879. He was assistant at St. Mary's Church, Mich-
igan City; assistant at St. Mary's Church, Fort Wayne; pastor
at St. Joseph's Church, Delphi, from January 1, 1892 to July
17, 1901, when he became a member of the Congregation of
the Most Precious Blood.

THE REV. MICHAEL P. ROONEY, C. S. C.

He was born at Albany, New York, January 8, 1830;
received the habit, July 13, 1849; profession, August 15, 1852;
ordained priest, by Bishop Van de Velde, at Notre Dame, on
February 2, 1853. He was the first resident pastor at Laporte,
from 1853 to 1854, from which place, he also attended Michigan

The Clergy, Continued. 167

City, where his name appears on the records, from January
1853 to October 1854. He also attended St. John, from the
beginning of 1857 till June of the same year.

THE REV. PHILIP ROTHMANN, O. F. M.

He was born September 18, 1856; entered the Order,
August 25, 1872; ordained priest, November 7, 1879; assistant
at St. Boniface's Church, Lafayette, from August 1884 to
August 1886. He was assistant priest at St. Joseph's Church,
Hammond, till May 9th, and acting pastor till August 10, 1885.

THE REV. JOSEPH RUDOLPH.

He was born at Bottenheim, in Alsace, April 23, 1813;
ordained priest, at Strassburg, on August 10, 1839; came to
America, in 1842. His name appears on the baptismal records
of the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, from July 1842 to October
1844. He was assistant to Father Benoit, visiting the Catholics
in and about Avilla and also Decatur. Later he labored in
the diocese of Vincennes. He died May 29, 1866, and is buried
at Oldenburg, Indiana, beneath the sanctuary of the church

THE REV. ENGELBERT RUFF, C. PP. S.

He was born at St. Maergen, Archdiocese of Freiburg,
October 5, 1817; came to America, February 2, 1845; ordained
priest, at New Riegel, Ohio, March 4, 1848. He was the pastor
of Holy Trinity Church, in Jay county, from 1864 to 1866.

THE REV. STEPHEN SAILER, O. F. M.

He was born at St. Jacob, Austria, March 29, 1828; entered
the Order, September 6, 1853; ordained priest, July 26, 1857;
came to America September 15, 1868; assistant at St. Boni-
face's Church, Lafayette, from August 1872 to August 1873;
returned to Europe in 1876; died at Salzburg, Austria, December
19, 1899.

168 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. JOHN SAND.

He was born July 8, 1855 at Neerson, Archdiocese of
Cologne, Germany. He made his studies at Neerson, Viersen,
and Munich, and was ordained priest for the diocese of Fort
Wayne, by Bishop Hoetzel, of Augsburg, in Munich, Germany,
on July 19, 1898 and arrived at Fort Wayne, in December
1898. He was assistant at St. Charles' Church, Peru, from
December 25, 1898 to July 5, 1899, and assistant at St. Joseph's
Church, Hammond, from July 6, 1899 to July 6, 1901. Owing
to poor health necessitating a change of climate, the Bishop
granted him leave of absence. He was made chaplain in St.
Raphael's Hospital, St. Cloud, Minnesota, from July 12, 1901
till February 1, 1902, since which date he has been pastor of
Lastrup, in the diocese of St. Cloud, Minnesota.

THE REV. MATTHIAS SASSE, O. F. M.

He was born. May 28, 1859, in Haldern, Prussia; entered
the Order, August 25, 1883; ordained priest, December 28,
1892; assistant at St. Boniface's Church, Lafayette, from Jan-
uary 1895 to November 19, 1895; he was the first pastor of
St. Lawrence's Church, Lafayette, from November 19, 1895 to
November 8, 1896.

THE REV. FRANCIS S. SCHAEFER, O. F. M.

He was born, at Cincinnati, Ohio, March 6, 1863; ordained
priest, at Cincinnati, July 26, 1887. He attended St. Joseph's
Church, at Reynolds till 1888.

THE REV. HENRY VINCENT SCHAEFER.

He was born at Waltrop, diocese of Munster, Germany,
on March 11, 1833. Emigrating to this country in January
1853, he was admitted to Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cin-
cinnati, Ohio. He was ordained priest, on June 27, 1858, and
was made the first resident pastor of St. Mary's Church, Avilla,

The Clergy, Continued. 169

attending, from here, to Warsaw,. Ege, Goshen, Ligonier and
Leo. About the year 1861, he made a pilgrimage to the Holy
Land. In 1863, he was sent to Columbia City, having also Nix
Settlement, Roanoke and Areola in his charge. Exposures to
the inclemencies of the weather brought on consumption. The
relief he sought at New Orleans was denied him and he died
an edifying death on December 18, 1873. His remains were
laid to rest in the cemetery back of St. Louis' Cathedral.

THE REV. MAXIMILIAN SCHAEFER, O. E. M.

He was born July 8, 1851; entered the Order, August 12,
1869; ordained priest. May 14, 1874; assistant at St. Boniface's
Church, Lafayette, from August 1874 to September 1875.

THE REV. FREDERICK W. SCHAEPER, C. PP. S.

He was born at Fort Wayne, Indiana, March 15, 1865;
ordained priest, at Rome, Italy, December 22, 1888. He was
the pastor of Kewanna and the mission Lucerne, from July till
the fall of 1893.

THE REV. FRANCIS X. SCHALK, C. PP. S.

He was born at New Riegel, Ohio, on March 29, 1859.
He entered the community C. PP. S., September 3, 1873, and
was ordained priest by Archbishop Elder, at Carthagena, Ohio,
on June 8, 1882. He was sent to Sedalia, Missouri, with sur-
rounding missions and stations, till 1886; was then on the
missions in Kansas, till 1889; had charge of Glynnwood, Ohio,
till 1891; labored in Tennessee, till 1894; was rector of St.
Joseph's Indian and Normal School, at Rensselaer, till 1896;
was pastor of St. Augustine's Church, Rensselaer, from Septem-
ber 1896 till February 1897, then of Wheatfield and Lowell,
till 1898; chaplain at the hospital of New Ulm, Minnesota, and
served as substitute in many places, until October 1, 1905,
when he was made the pastor of Pulaski, with Royal Centre
for a mission.

170 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. FREDERICK SCHALK, C. PP. S.

He was born at New Riegel, Ohio, March 2, 1850; ordained
priest, January 17, 1873. He and two other Fathers C. PP. S.,
were pastors pro tern, at Kentland, from December 10, 1902
till February 13, 1903. He resides at the Mission House of
the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood, Fort Wayne.

THE REV. LEANDER SCHELL, O. F. M.

He was born December 9, 1875; entered the Order, August
15, 1893; ordained priest, August 12, 1900; assistant in Lafay-
ette, from October 1902 to August 1906, at St. Boniface's
Church.

THE REV. JOSEPH M. SCHERER, C. S. C.

He was born on July 15, 1850 in Zunsweir, the Grand-
Duchy of Baden, Germany. The family emigrated to America,
in 1855, and settled first in Pennsylvania, then in Ohio, near
Portsmouth. On January 9, 1873, Joseph entered the Uni-
versity of Notre Dame, and on June 21, 1875 was received a
member of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, making his
profession, on June 23, 1876. He was ordained priest, on
June 15, 1880, by Bishop Dwenger, at Notre Dame. He filled
many important positions in the community to which he
belongs, when being superior of the community house at Notre
Dame, he was called to succeed Father Johannes as pastor of
St. Mary's Church, at South Bend. He holds that position at
the present time, since October 27, 1904.

THE REV. KILIAN SCHILL, C. PP. S.

He was born at Heuweiler, Archdiocese of Freiburg, Ger-
many, July 8, 1854; came to this country, May 18, 1873;
ordained priest, at Carthagena, Ohio, June 8/1882. He was
the pastor of St. Peter's Church, at Winamac, from 1885 till
1887.

The Clergy, Continued. 171

THE REV. A. SGHIPPERT.

He was a native of the kingdom of Wuertemburg, and a
convert from lutheranism. He was the first resident pastor of
SS. Peter and Paul's Church, at Huntington, from March 1857
till August 1858. He lived in a rented cottage on Cherry
street. On account of ill health, he retired to Innsbruck,
Tyrol, where, in a young ladies' academy, he filled the position
of professor of the French language. While pastor of Hunt-
ington he also attended Nix Settlement and Roanoke as mis-
sions.

THE REV. LAWRENCE J. SCHIRACK, C. PP. S.

He was born at New Corydon, Indiana, February 26, 1863;
ordained priest, at Cincinnati, Ohio, March 17, 1889. He has
been the pastor of St. Peter's Church, Winamac, since the end
of January 1905.

THE REV. VALENTINE MICHAEL SCHIRACK, C. PP. S.

He was born at St. Mary's Home, Jay county, Indiana,
October 9, 1871 ; entered the Congregation of the Most Precious
Blood, April 20, 1887; ordained priest, by Bishop Matz of
Denver, Colorado, February 14, 1896. He was the pastor of
St. Peter's Church at Winamac, from 1903 until November 15,
1904, on which date he was almost instantly killed as a con-
sequence of his horse becoming frightened by a passing hand-
car, throwing him from the buggy.

THE REV. RAPHAEL SCHMAUS, C. PP. S.

He was born at Oberbaar, diocese of Augsburg, Germany,
May 18, 1867; came to America, March 24, 1885; ordained
priest, at Carthagena, Ohio, June 21, 1891. He was the pastor
of Pulaski, from 1891 till 1893.

172 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. WILLIAM GEORGE SCHMIDT.

He was born at Lahr, in the province of Nassau, Germany,
on February 5, 1852. Emigrating to this country in 1861, the
family settled at Mineral Points, Wisconsin. Here he attended
the parochial school, and then entered Calvary College, at Fond
du Lac, Wisconsin. He then entered the St. Francis' Seminary
at Milwaukee, where he studied three and one-half years:
completing his theological studies at Mount St. Mary's Semi-
nary, Cincinnati, Ohio. He was ordained priest by Bishop
Dwenger in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on December 19,
1874. He has had charge of St. Lawrence's Church at Muncie,
since January 28, 1875. He is the dean of the Muncie district.

THE REV. PETER SCHMITT.

He was born on March 12, 1871, at Eschringen, Germany.
He made his classical studies at Farbach, Lorain, and Pont-a-
Moussen, France. His theological studies were made at the
American College of Louvain, Belgium, where he was ordained
priest, on June 29, 1897. On October 10th, of the same year,
he was appointed the asisstant at St. Joseph's Church, Misha-
waka, where he remained until May 1899. He was pastor of
St. Michael's Church, Summit, till July 1900, when he was
acting pastor at Plymouth, during Rev. Charles Lemper's
illness. In March 1901, he was appointed pastor at Areola
and Pierceton its mission, where he remained until September
13, 1905 since which date he has been the pastor of Covington
and the mission Veedersburg.

THE REV. JOHN M. SCHMITZ.

He was born, January 10, 1876, in the diocese of Treves,
Germany. He studied the classics at St. Joseph's College,
Kirkwood, Missouri, philosophy and theology, at Mount St.
Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio. He was ordained priest
by Archbishop Elder, on June 16, 1899. His appointments
have been: Assistant at Avilla, from July 2, 1899; assistant

The Clergy, Continued. 173

at Muncie, from September 1899; pastor at Auburn and mis-
sions, since July 13, 1900. In 1906 Father Schmitz enjoyed a
trip to Europe, having the privilege of an audience with Pope
Pius X.

THE REV. MATTHEW JACOB SCHMITZ.

He was born at Siegburg, Prussia, diocese of Cologne, on
December 14, 1831; ordained priest, April 21, 1857; came to
America February 21, 1867. He was the first resident pastor
at Dyer, from April 1867 till July 1870. From here he also
attended to Lottaville.

THE REV. CONRAD SCHNEIDER, C. PP. S.

He was born at Wolfsbach, Archdiocese of Bamberg,
Germany, November 8, 1846; came to this country, on July 6,
1869; ordained priest, at Cincinnati, Ohio, March 15, 1878.
He visited Monterey some time between the years 1878 and
II

THE REV. THEOBALD SCHOCH, C PP. S.

He was born in Mercer county, Ohio, July 24, 1848; or-
dained priest, January 18, 1872. In the early part of 1876,
he was the pastor of Pulaski; pastor of St. Peter's Church,
Winamac, from the latter part of 1876 to 1880, also attending
Monterey, as a mission.

* THE REV. GEORGE M. SCHRAMM.

He was born on Trinity Sunday, June 16, 1867, in Fort
Wayne, Indiana. From his fifth to his thirteenth year, he
attended St. Mary's school and for some time also the Brothers'
school, at the Cathedral. Having completed his sixteenth
year, he entered St. Lawrence's College at Mount Calvary,
Wisconsin, where he remained for five years. In September

174 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

1888, he was admitted to Mount St. Mary's of the West, Cin-
cinnati, where he was given a two years course in philosophy
and three years in theology. He was ordained priest, on May
11, 1893, by Archbishop Elder. On June 8, of the same year,
he was sent to Reynolds. At Francisville, one of the missions
attached to Reynolds, was an epidemic of typhoid fever, and
here he contracted the disease. He spent nearly nine months
at St. Elisabeth's Hospital, at Lafayette. In the fall of 1896
Bishop Rademacher sent him as an assistant to Rev. John
Bleckmann, at Michigan City. During the absence of the
pastor from March 1897 to July of the same year, he had
charge of St. Joseph's Church at Hammond. He then returned
to Michigan City, when on October 1, 1897 Bishop Rademacher
made him pastor of St. Peter's Church at Laporte, which
position he still holds.

THE REV. JOHN BAPTIST SCHROEDER, O. F. M.

He was born at Enochsburg, Indiana, October 9, 1852;
ordained priest, at Detroit, Michigan, August 18, 1875. He
was the pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Reynolds, in 1884.
He attended to Remington, from 1881 to 1883. He died
February 14, 1901.

THE REV. ROCHUS SCHUELEY, C. PP. S.

He was born at Schutterthal, Baden, Archdiocese of Frei-
burg, Germany, on August 15, 1829; came to America, April
25, 1848; ordained priest, at New Riegel, Ohio, November 21,
1853. He was the pastor of Holy Trinity Church, in Jay
county, from 1862 till 1864.

THE REV. GAUDENTIUS SCHUSTER, O. F. M.

He was born November 21, 1871; entered the Order,
August 15, 1889; ordained priest, July 25, 1896; assistant in
Lafayette, from October 1896 to August 1897, at St. Boniface's
Church.

The Clergy, Continued. 175

THE REV. COSMAS SEEBERGER, C. PP. S.

He was born at Frastanz, Vorarlberg, diocese of Brixen,
March 14, 1840; came to America, December 20, 1866; or-
dained priest, at Cincinnati, Ohio, June 30, 1874. He was one
of ten Fathers C. PP. S., who visited Monterey, from 1873 till
1888. He was the pastor of Pulaski in 1875, and again, from
1878 till 1880. He attended the mission, Portland, on two
Sundays of every month, from January to December 1878.
He was the resident pastor of Roanoke for eight months, from
November 1880, visiting Nix Settlement every Sunday.

THE REV. AUGUSTINE SEIFERT, C. PP. S.

He was born at Tiffm, Ohio, April 28, 1857; ordained
priest, at Cincinnati, Ohio, June 11, 1881. He attended Port-
land as a mission, on two Sundays of every month, from May
to September 1882. At present he is the Rector of St. Joseph's
College, near Rensselaer.

THE REV. LOUIS DE SEILLE.

He was a native of Belgium, a descendant of one of the
oldest and wealthiest families of that Country, near Sleidinge.
His missionary labors in Indiana date, from 1832 to 1837. His
missions embraced portions of Indiana, Michigan and Illinois.
To travel sixty or eighty miles to answer a sick call, was a
common occurrence with him. Little is known as to particu-
lars of his labors, but his death and its circumstances must be
mentioned. He was visiting Pokegan, at a distance of about
thirty-five miles from Notre Dame, for two weeks, when on
leaving he told his dear Indians that they would not see him
again. " I have a great journey to perform," he said to them,
"pray for me and do not forget to say your beads for me".

176 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Returning to Notre Dame, he sent messengers to Chicago and
Logansport, a distance respectively of eighty-six and sixty-six
miles, to have a priest come to attend him in his dying hour.
After three days, the messenger returned without a priest.
The house in which he lived was a log shanty divided into two
parts, one of which served as a chapel, the other as a sleeping
room. Father de Seille now requested to be carried into the
adjoining chapel. Resting in the arms of his faithful Indians
and having spent some time in prayer at the foot of the altar,
he directed his attendant to vest him in surpHce and stole.
They raised him gently and supported the dying priest, who
with trembling hand opened the tabernacle and drew forth the
ciborium. Having uncovered it, he humbly and devoutly
administered to himself the Holy Viaticum. After spending a
long time in thanksgiving he was carried back to the adjoining
room, where in less than a half an hour, invoking the sweet
names of Jesus and Mary, with a calm smile on his counte-
nance, he expired without a struggle. The poor Indians at
Pokegan, impressed with what their Black Gown had told
them, that they would not see him again, set out for Notre
Dame. When they arrived Father de Seille was no more.
For three days they stood in mourning around the bed of death.
They refused to bury the dead priest and did so only when
ordered by the authorities of the neighboring town. The body
was interred in the little chapel, but it and the bodies of two
other missionaries now rest in a vault beneath the sanctuary
of the present magnificent church. A cross was erected on
the spot where the log cabin stood with the following inscrip-
tion: "Hie praesens locus semel et iterum sanctificatus est
oblatione divini sacraficii etiam per quosdam antecessorum
nostrorum. Scimus procerto quod venerabilis de Seille rem
sacram haberet aliquando in hoc humili suo cubiculo. Ibi
moriens propriis manibus se communicavit in absentia alius
sacerdotis quem in vanum desiderabat. Ibi mortuus et se-
pultus piis amicis traditus est in humili capella quae postea
labore et arte in hanc praesentem ecclesiam pulcherrimam
mutata est ob quam causam haec loca quasi fundamenta
Ecclesiae Nostrae Domini inservientia omni veneratione relig-
iosa digna videntur." The memorial tablet in the wall of the
church reads:

The Clergy, Continued. 177

Hie Jacent

REV. F. COINT'ET, C. S. C.

Dilectus Deo Et Hominibus.

Sublatus Die 19 Mensis Septembris, 1854,

Aetatis Suae 37 Anno.

REV. J. DESEILLE OBITUS A.D. 1836.

REV. B. PETIT OBITUS A.D. 1838.

Viri Pariter Quidem Mirabiles, Qui

Paucis Diebus Expleverunt

Tempora Multa

R. I. P.

"Father de Seille is described as a man of grave and re-
served manner. His long intercourse with the Indians im-
parted to him a tinge of their deep melancholy. His face,
though youthful, bore the traces of suffering and the marks
of years; abstinence was written on his brow, and his down-
cast eye accorded with his meek profession." The common
belief of the Indians was that Father de Seille had the gift of
prophecy: instancing the foretelling of his own death, also the
fact, that the two wealthiest men in the neighborhood died
penniless, as he said they would, and that a wooden cross
erected by him was never touched by fire, although every
thing about it was burnt two or three times, the Indians assert-
ing that he foretold, it would never be destroyed by fire.

THE REV. JULIUS SEIMETZ.

He was born in Michigan City, Indiana, on April 17,
1871. He studied the classics in St. Joseph's College, near
Rensselaer, philosophy and theology, in Carthagena, Ohio, and
in St. Francis' Seminary, of Wisconsin. He was ordained
priest by Bishop Alerding, in the Cathedral of Fort Wayne,
on the 21st day of June 1901. He was assistant in St. Charles'
Church at Peru, from July 12, 1901 to June 30, 1905. He
has been pastor at Reynolds with Medaryville and Francis-
ville as missions, since July 4, 1905.

THE REV. FELIX THOMAS SEROCZYNSKI.

The son of Thomas and Justina (Iwaszkiewicz) Seroczyn-
ski, was born on March 5, 1879 at Warsaw, Indiana. The

178 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

family moved to Fort Wayne, in April 1893. In the same
year, Felix entered St. Joseph's College, near Rensselaer. He
was sent to Mount St. Mary's Seminary at Cincinnati, in 1899,
and having finished his philosophical and theological studies,
he was ordained priest by Bishop Alerding, in the Cathedral
at Fort Wayne, on June 18, 1904. His first appointments
were to supply the pastors of St. Stanislaus' Church at East
Chicago and North Judson, two months each. He was assist-
ant at St. Mary's, Lafayette, for about one month, when he
was appointed pastor at North Judson, on November 25, 1905.
He was transferred to St. Adalbert's Church, at Hammond,
on June 8, 1907.

THE REV. MARTIN SHERER.

He was born at PfaflFenhofen, diocese of Augsburg, Ger-
many, July 28, 1830; came to America, December 22, 1854;
ordained priest at Lafayette, Indiana, October 24, 1858. He
was the pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Laporte, for a period
of about nine years. From here he paid frequent visits to
Michigan City, continuing to attend the Germans here until
the arrival of Rev. George Steiner. In 1859, he organized St.
Martin's Congregation at Schimmels. His name appears on
the baptismal records of Klaasville, February 26, 1867. During
the absence of Rev. B. Rachor, he and other priests attended
St. John, from October 1866 till November 1868. Later he
was a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, where he died.

THE REV. RICHARD SHORTIS, C. S. C.

He was born at St. Nicholas, Ireland, March 21, 1815;
received the habit, July 13, 1849; profession, March 19, 1850.
He visited Laporte after the year 1840. He also visited Mich-
igan City, from 1847 to 1852. He died September 14, 1887,
and is buried at Notre Dame.

THE REV. DOMINIC SHUNK, C. PP. S.

He was born at Canal Fulton, Ohio, November 26, 1855;
ordained priest at Cincinnati, Ohio, June 11, 1881. He was

The Clergy, Continued. 179

the organizer of the parish of the Most Precious Blood at
Wanatah, being the pastor from June 1887 to February 1897.
From Wanatah he attended as missions: Schimmels, San
Pierre, Walkerton, Westville, Hamlet, Wheatfield, North
Judson and Kouts, and the station Knox. He attended
Schimmels, residing at San Pierre, from July 1885 to 1888,
and residing at Wanatah, from 1888 to February 1897.

THE REV. FRANCIS J. SIEGELACK.

He was born at Duesseldorf, Prussia, diocese of Cologne,
on November 23, 1833; came to America, July 26, 1863; or-
dained priest, October 6, 1865. He was the pastor of Ply-
mouth, from 1866 to 1869; the first resident pastor of St.
Martin's Church, Hanover Centre, from 1869 to 1873, attend-
ing also Klaasville as a mission. At present he is the pastor
of St. Mary Magdalene's Church, New York City.

THE REV. SIMON SIEGRIST.

He was born at Stottsheim, diocese of Strassburg, Ger-
many, on February 13, 1822, and emigrated to the United
States, on June 19, 1847. He was ordained priest, August 29,
of the same year. He was pastor of St. Mary's Church, Indian-
apoHs, from January 21, 1858, till his death October 28, 1873.
While at Indianapolis, he attended Kokomo as a mission for
a time. As far as can be ascertained, he was the first priest
who celebrated Mass in Tipton county.

THE REV. JULIAN SKRZYPINSKI.

He was born at Rogozno, Province Posen, Germany, on
January 9, 1881. He attended the schools of his native place.
His classical studies were begun in his native town and fin-
ished at St. Lawrence's College, Mount Calvary, Wisconsin.
His philosophical and theological studies were begun and com-
pleted at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cedar Point, Ohio.

180 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

He received tonsure and the first two Minor Orders in June,
1905; the other two Minor Orders in June, 1906; Subdeacon-
ship on March 15, and Deaconship on March 16, 1907: all at
the Seminary. He was ordained priest by Bishop Alerding,
in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on May 22, 1907. His first
appointment was acting pastor of St. Stanislaus' Church, at
East Chicago, during the absence of Father Bolka.

THE REV. WILLIBALD SLIEMERS, C. PP. S.

He was born at Minster, Ohio, April 20, 1860; ordained
priest, at Carthagena, Ohio, March 17, 1889. He was the
pastor of Pulaski, from 1894 to 1896.

THE REV. BRUNO SOENGEN.

He was born in Mentz, Germany, on August 8, 1856. He
made his studies in Mentz, Innsbruck and Rome. He was
ordained priest by Bishop Haller, the Co-adjutor of Trent, on
February 9, 1879. He was a member of the Capuchin Order,
until 1894, and came to Fort Wayne, July 18, 1895. He was
appointed as follows: Assistant at SS. Peter and Paul's
Church, Huntington, till December 9, 1895; pastor of St.
Catharine's Church, in Nix Settlement, Whitley county, with
Roanoke, Huntington county, as a mission, until July 1, 1905,
when he resigned and made a trip to Europe; assistant at St,
Joseph's Church and chaplain at St. Margaret's Hospital, at
Hammond, since November 15, 1905.

THE REV. DANIEL J. SPILLARD, C. S. C.

He was born in Cork, Ireland, November 8, 1839. He
came to the United States in 1845. He spent some time in
Rochester, New York, and in Elgin, Illinois, when in 1864 he
graduated at Notre Dame University. He joined the Con-
gregation of the Holy Cross the same year and was ordained
priest in 1868. He was prefect of discipline at Notre Dame,

The Clergy, Continued. 181

until he became pastor of St. Patrick's Church at South Bend,
where he continued from March 1871 until April 1874. He is
at present the President of the Holy Cross College at New
Orleans.

THE REV. ANTHONY STACHOWIAK.

He was born in Daszewsice, Archdiocese of Posen, Ger-
many on May 5, 1878. He studied the classics in SS. Cyrillus
and Methodius' Seminary at Detroit, Michigan; philosophy
and theology in Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati. He
was ordained priest in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, by Bishop
Alerding, on May 24, 1902. He was the assistant at St. Stan-
islaus' Church, Michigan City, from the time of his ordination
till June 22, 1906, since which time he is the pastor of St.
John Cantius' Church at Indiana Harbor.

THE REV. GUI DO STAELO, O. F. M.

He was born April 7, 1856; entered the Order, August 19,
1873; ordained priest, November 7, 1879; attended Reming-
ton, from 1879 to 1881; assistant at St. Boniface's Church,
Lafayette, from August 1893 to September 1894.

THE REV. JOHN B. STEGER.

He was born in Obernoebling, Bavaria, in the diocese of
Regensburg, Germany, on June 13, 1875. He studied the
classics in Mount Calvary, Wisconsin, philosophy in Bozen,
in Tyrol, and in St. Viateur's, Bourbonnais, Illinois, and theol-
ogy in St. Meinrad's Seminary. He was ordained priest by
Bishop Alerding, in the Cathedral, at Fort Wayne, on June
17, 1905. Having returned from a visit to his parents in his
native country, he was appointed assistant at Decatur, on
August 24, 1905. He is the assistant at Kokomo, since Sep-
tember 18, 1906.

182 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. GEORGE STEINER.

He was born in New Ulm, Bavaria, diocese of Augsburg,
on April 11, 1836; came to America in September 1854; or-
dained priest, September 4, 1860. He was pastor of St. Mary's
Church, Michigan City, from September 1860 till September
21, 1864; pastor of St. Michael's Church, Plymouth, from
1864 to 1866, attending also Monterey as a mission; pastor
of St. Patrick's Church, Lagro, from September 1, 1866 till
August 1, 1868. During the time, from September 25th, until
December 22, 1866, he went on a collecting tour for the orphan
asylums. While pastor at Michigan City, he attended Ham-
mond at different times and from Lagro, he visited Wabash as
a station. On August 1, 1868, he was appointed pastor of
SS. Peter and Paul's Church, Huntington, where he labored
with great zeal and success. Owing to ill health, he spent the
winter of 1876 to 1877, in Florida, and the spring and summer
of 1877, in Minnesota, to regain his health. But Providence
determined otherwise, for he was obliged to resign his pastoral
charge, in January 1880, when with his faithful friend. Rev.
Julius Becks, he went to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he
died peacefully, on June 1st, of the same year. His remains
rest in the cemetery at Albuquerque.

THE REV. CLEMENT STEINKAMP, O. F. M.

A son of Henry and Catharine (Taben) Steinkamp, was
born on March 22, 1842 at Meppen, Province of Hanover,
Prussia; he emigrated to America, arriving on the 26th of
March, 1865. He attended the Gymnasium of his native place,
where he made his classical course. He entered the Order of
St. Francis in 1866, and was ordained priest at Louisville,
Kentucky, on June 6, 1869. He attended to St. Joseph's
Church at Reynolds, from 1885 to 1887. He is the chaplain
of St. Elisabeth's Hospital at Lafayette, filling this position
since 1900.

THE RIGHT REV. MGR. JOSEPH ANDREW STEPHAN.

He was born at Gissigheim, Baden, Archdiocese of Frei-
burg, on November 22, 1822; came to America in May 1847;

The Clergy, Continued. 183

ordained priest, at Cincinnati, Ohio, March 19, 1849. In 1856,
residing at San Pierre, he celebrated Mass in the home of
Michael Vogel at Reynolds; from 1858 to 1859, he visited
Delphi, a station, from Rensselaer; in 1860, he attended
Oxford, Earl Park, St. Anthony's, and Kentland, till April
1870; in 1875, residing at San Pierre, he attended St. Martin's
Church, at Schimmels, and procured a donation of land for
the church at Wanatah. * He died on September 12, 1901, at
Washington, D. C, where he is buried.

THE REV. THEODORE STEPHAN, O. F. M.

He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, March 23, 1862 and
was ordained priest, February 28, 1885. He was appointed
the second pastor of St. Lawrence's Church, at Lafayette, on
November 8, 1896, but owing to ill health was obliged to resign
after a few weeks.

THE REV. CHARLES VINCENT STETTER, D.D.

He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on February 22,
1859. He made his classical studies at the Canisius' College
of Buffalo, New York, at St. Nazianz, Wisconsin, and St.
Lawrence's College, Mount Calvary, Wisconsin. He made his
philosophical and theological studies in St. Francis' Seminary,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and in Rome, Italy, where he was
ordained priest by Cardinal Monaco La Vallette, on March 24,
1883. The degree. Ph. D., was conferred on him by the Roman
Academy of St. Thomas, and the degree, D.D., by the College
of the Propaganda. His appointments were the following:
Pastor of St. Joseph's Church, at Dyer, from August 23, 1883
till July 29, 1888; pastor of SS. Peter and Paul's Church,
Lottaville, and the mission Hobart, from July 29, 1888 till
August 23, 1902; pastor of St. Bridget's Church, Hobart,
from August 23, 1902 till February 13, 1903; pastor of St.
Joseph's Church, Kentland, since February 13, 1903.

184 The Diocese of Fori Wayne.

THE REV. CHARLES STEURER.

He was born at Glotterthal, Archdiocese of Freiburg,
Germany, September 27, 1845; ordained priest, at St. Peter,
Black Forests, July 24, 1870; came to America, June 24, 1875.
He was the resident pastor at Dyer, from August 4, 1875 till
January 30, 1878. In June 1881, he succeeded the Rev.
William Berg, as pastor of St. Martin's Church, Hanover
Centre. At present he is in charge of a parish in the diocese
of Peoria, Illinois.

THE REV. NICHOLAS J. STOFFEL, C. S. C.

He was born at Holzen, diocese of Luxemburg, on October
20, 1854; came to America in 1874; ordained priest, at Notre
Dame, October 12, 1878. He was the pastor of St. Joseph's
Church, South Bend, from August 1889 until the time of his
death, March 20, 1902.

THE REV. ANTHONY J. STRUEDER.

He was the pastor of Marion, from 1883 till September
1884; resident pastor at Dunnington, from the summer of
1884 till May 15, 1888; resident pastor of St. Anthony's, in
Benton county, from May 1888 till August 1891, attending
also Goodland as a mission; resident pastor at Portland, from
October 1891 till October 25, 1894, the date of his death. He
is buried at Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

THE REV. CHARLES L. STUER.

He was born at St. Gilles, diocese of Ghent, on September
11, 1876. He studied the classics at Renaise, philosophy at
St. Nicholas, theology at Ghent, and was ordained priest by
Bishop Stillemans of Ghent, on June 9, 1900. He emigrated
to America, and arrived in Mishawaka, on September 29, 1902
and was appointed assistant priest at St. Joseph's Church, of
that city, until March 1903, when St. Bavo's Congregation
was organized for the Belgians and he was appointed its pastor.

The Clergy, Continued. 185

THE REV. WILLIAM D. SULLIVAN.

He was born at Lafayette, Indiana, on August 16, 1876.
He studied the classics in St. Joseph's College, near Rensselaer,
philosophy and theology in Mount St. Mary's Seminary, at
Cincinnati. He was ordained priest by Bishop Alerding on
May 24, 1902, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne. His first
appointment was that of assistant at the Cathedral.

THE REV. FRANCIS X. SZULAK, S. J.

He was born at Netschiz, Austria, diocese of Olmetz,
December 17, 1825; ordained priest, September 20, 1851;
came to this country August 16, 1865. He visited the Polish
Catholics at Otis and the surrounding country, from Chicago,
in the early sixties. When a station, from 1870 to 1884, Terre.
Coupee was visited occasionally by him, celebrating Mass in
the woods and in log cabins. He is still at Chicago, giving
missions to the Poles and Bohemians in the vicinity of Chicago.

THE REV. CHARLES THIELE.

He was born on June 22, 1863, at Leer, Oestfriesland,
Hanover, Germany. Three years old, he came with his
parents to America, the family locating in Baltimore, Mary-
land. A few years later they moved to Goshen, Indiana.
Here he spent his boy-hood days and received his early educa-
tion. In 1879, he entered on his classical course at the Univer-
sity of Notre Dame, after which he was sent to St. Francis'
Seminary, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for his philosophical and
theological studies. He was ordained priest by Bishop Dwenger
in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on June 29, 1888. He was
appointed pastor of Monterey, remaining, from July 1, 1888
till August 1898, attending also the missions, Rochester, Kouts
and Culver. He was transferred to the pastorate of Sacred
Heart Church, Whiting, from August 1898 till June 7, 1905,
when he was named the irremovable rector of St. Peter's
Church at Fort Wayne.

186 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. JOHN M. TOOHEY, C. S. C.

He was born at Birr, Kings County, Ireland, October 31,
1840; received the habit, August 15, 1856; profession, August
15, 1864; ordained priest, September 8, 1864. He was pastor
at St. Vincent, Allen county, from 1890 to 1895. He died,
February 13, 1905, at Austin, Texas, where he is buried.

THE REV. THOMAS TRAVERS.

He was born at Fort Wayne, Indiana, on May 19, 1880,
studied the classics at St. Joseph's College at Rensselaer, phi-
losophy at St. Paul's Seminary, Minnesota, and theology at
St. Bernard's Seminary at Rochester, New York. He was
ordained priest by Bishop Alerding in the Cathedral at Fort
Wayne, on June 18, 1904. He was assistant at St. Vincent
de Paul's Church in Logansport, from July 2, 1904 till Decem-
ber 7, 1905. He has been the pastor at Fairmount with
Matthews for a station, since December 7, 1905.

THE REV. JOHN TREMMEL.

He was born in Fort Wayne, August 29, 1866, a son of
John and Josephine (Kelliger) Tremmel, natives of Germany
and Switzerland, respectively. He attended the parochial
schools of his native city, and in the fall of 1881, he entered
St. Lawrence's College, Mount Calvary, Wisconsin, where he
studied the classics. Having completed his classical studies,
he made his philosophical and theological course at St. Francis'
Seminary, Milwaukee, and Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cin-
cinnati, respectively. He was ordained priest by Archbishop
Elder, on June 13, 1890. His first appointment was assistant
at St. Joseph's Church, Hammond. He had charge of St.
Patrick's Congregation at Lagro, from July to August 1891,
when he was appointed pastor of Covington, with Veedersburg,
as a mission. On September 1, 1905 he assumed charge of
St. Michael's Church at Plymouth, his present pastorate.

The Clergy, Continued. 187

THE REV. PAULINUS TROST, C. PP. S.

He was born at Urach, Black Forests, Archdiocese of
Freiburg, Germany, May 12, 1856; came to America, October
15, 1876; ordained priest, May 28, 1885. He attended Port-
land as a mission, from March to July 1904.

THE REV. JOSEPH UPHAUS, C. PP. S.

He was born at Glandorf, Ohio, October 1, 1844; ordained
priest at Carthagena, Ohio, January 17, 1873. He was the
pastor of Holy Trinity Church, in Jay county, from 1878 till
1888; pastor of St. Peter's Church, Winamac, from 1897 till
the fall of 1898.

THE REV. THOMAS VAGNIER, C. S. C.

He was born near Fort Wayne, on March 22, 1839; made
his profession, February 2, 1862; ordained priest, June 10,
1867. He was pastor of St. Joseph's Church, South Bend,
from July 1st, to August 1880. He was the first resident
pastor at Earl Park, from 1887 till August 1895.

THE REV. THEODORE VANDERPOEL.

He was born at Amsterdam, Holland, diocese of Harlem,
in the year 1831. Having emigrated to the United States in
1848, he was ordained priest, on November 7, 1852. His name
appears on the baptismal records of the Cathedral at Fort
Wayne on March 31, 1859. He was the first resident priest
at Areola, arriving there and celebrating Mass on Christmas
day 1867. While pastor at Areola he also attended Nix Settle-
ment and Roanoke as missions.

THE REV. FELIX VENIARD, C. S. C.

He was born in France, being a priest for forty-two years,
and a member of the Congregation of the Holy Cross for forty-

188 The Diocese of Fort IVayne.

four years. He was the pastor of St. Joseph's Church at South
Bend, from September 1877 till July 1, 1880. He was the
resident pastor of St. Louis' Church at Besancon, from 1880
till his death on May 27, 1893.

THE REV. RAYMOND VERNIMONT, C. PP. S.

He was born at Beerwick, Ohio, October 15, 1856; or-
dained priest at Cincinnati, Ohio, May 30, 1885. He was the
pastor of the Most Precious Blood Church at Wanatah, from
September 22, 1897 till September 8, 1898, having charge also
of the missions Schimmels, Walkerton and Hamlet.

THE REV. GABRIEL VOLKERT.

He was born at Heckfeld, Baden, Archdiocese of Frei-
burg, Germany, on May 17, 1833; came to America, August
25, 1859; ordained priest, January 26, 1861. He appears to
have been, for a time at least, assistant to Rev. Martin Sherer,
pastor at Laporte, and attended from Laporte, St. Martin's
Church at Schimmels. While pastor at Plymouth, from 1862
to 1864, he also attended Monterey. He became later a priest
of the diocese of Albany, New York.

THE REV. FREDERICK VON SCHWEDLER.

He was born in Westphalia, Germany, February 12, 1841,
the son of Theodore and Gertrude (von Hannes) von Schwedler.
He studied the classics in the Gymnasium at Munster; phi-
losophy and theology, four years at Innsbruck, Austria, one
year in Louvain, Belgium, and one year in Rome, Italy. He
was ordained priest by Bishop Luers at Fort Wayne, on August
18, 1869. His appointments were: Temporary charge of
St. Paul's Church, Fort Wayne; temporary charge of St.
Joseph's Church, Logansport; assistant at St. Mary's Church,
Fort Wayne, for five months; pastor of the same church for
seven months; temporary charge of Union City, from 1871

The Clergy, Continued. 189

to. 1 872, attending also Dunkirk ^s a mission ; pastor of Decatur,
from 1872 to 1877. In 1877, he left the diocese of Fort Wayne
and went to the diocese of Peoria, where he was pastor of
Oilman, Illinois, and then for thirteen years, pastor of St.
Boniface's Church, Peoria. In 1892, he returned to the dio-
cese of Fort Wayne and had charge of St. Anthony's, in Benton
county, attending Goodland as a mission; pastor of Monroe-
ville; pastor of Chesterton, from February 1898 till May 1899;
pastor of Attica, since May 1899.

THE REV. JOHN C. WAKEFER.

He was born at Crawfordsville, Indiana, March 8, 1876.
He attended the parochial schools of his native place. At the
age of fifteen he entered the University of Notre Dame, where
he remained four years, completing his classical studies at St.
Joseph's College, near Rensselaer. He was accepted by Bishop
Rademacher for the diocese of Fort Wayne, August 1897. At
Mount St. Mary's Seminary, he entered and completed his
course in philosophy and theology and was ordained priest at
the Cathedral, Fort Wayne, by Bishop Alerding, on June 21,
1901. His first appointment was that of assistant at St. Mary's
Church, in Lafayette, where he remained until his appoint-
ment of pastor at Dunkirk, on September 7, 1902. He holds
that position at the present time. He also attends to Red
Key and Albany as missions.

THE REV. ROBERT WALLACE, C S. C.

He was born at Lourglin, Ireland, April 2, 1824; received
the habit, January 17, 1851; profession, August 15, 1853;
ordained priest, by Bishop Van de Velde, at Notre Dame,
August 18, 1853. He was the resident pastor at Laporte
succeeding Father Rooney.

THE REV. EDWARD P. WALTERS.

He was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, March 10, 1839.
He made his studies at St. Mary's College, Perry county.

190 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Missouri, and at St. Vincent's, Cape Girardo, the same State.
He was adopted into the diocese of Fort Wayne and ordained
priest, by Bishop Luers, on May 15, 1864. The Bishop made
him his secretary and assistant priest at the Cathedral. In
January 1868, he was appointed the pastor of St. Bernard's
Church, Crawfordsville, where he labored with much success.
On May 16, 1878, he was appointed pastor of St. Vincent's
Church, Logansport, where he remained until June 16, 1883,
when he was made pastor of St. Mary's Church, Lafayette. In
1886, he accom.panied Bishop Dwenger, as his theologian, to
the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore. Father Walters
urged that St. Ann's Parish be made an independent one. On
January 1, 1887, he was made irremovable rector. He was a
member of the Diocesan School Board. He died on June 12,
1894, at Lafayette, where his remains rest.

THE REV. PETER J. WEBER.

He was born in New York City, on May 13, 1868. His
father having died, his mother took him at the age of four years
to Europe, where he received his common school education in
Hessia, Baden, and his classical education and philosophy in
St. Nicholas, Belgium, and theology in the American College
of Louvain. He was ordained priest by the Bishop of Malines,
Belgium, on January 6, 1891. After his ordination, he was
stationed at Klaasville, with Lowell for a mission, from April
27, 1891 till August 1, 1895, when he received his present
appointment, pastor of St. John the Baptist's Church in Earl
Park.

THE REV. UBALDUS WEBERSINKE, O. F. M.

He was born. May 13, 1837; entered the Order, August 30,
1856; ordained priest, June 2, 1860; pastor in Lafayette, from
August 1890 to July 1892, at St. Boniface's Church.

THE REV. M. P. WEHRLE.

He was born at Cologne, on March 13, 1829; came to
America in 1855; ordained priest, July 31, 1858. Residing at

The Clergy, Continued. 191

Turkey Creek, he attended Dyer as a station up to 1865. While
pastor at St. John, from 1865 to 1868, he attended Klaasville
as a mission. He succeeded the Rev. F. X. Nigh in visiting
Hanover Centre, residing at Crown Point, being the first resi-
dent pastor, from 1865 to November 1868. While on a visit
to his native country, he died on the train.

THE REV. JUSTINE WEEK, O. P. M.

He was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, on August 26, 1875;
received his elementary education at St. Francis' parochial
school of the same city; made his classics at St. Francis' Gym-
nasium, Cincinnati, Ohio; entered the Order, August 15, 1891;
ordained priest by Bishop Chatard, at Indianapolis, August 12,
1898. He has been assistant at St. Boniface's Church, Lafay-
ette, since August 18, 1906.

THE REV. PETER A. WELLING, O. F. M.

He was born at Oldenburg, Indiana, May 11, 1857; ordained
priest at Louisville, Kentucky, December 28, 1885. He at-
tended St. Joseph's Church at Reynolds, sometime between
the years 1886 and 1888. He visited the station Frankfort,
from Lafayette in 1890 till August.

THE REV. JOHN E. WELLINGHOFF, O. F. M.

He was born at Hamilton, Ohio, November 28, 1854;
ordained priest at Cincinnati, Ohio, December 22, 1877. He
it appears, attended Remington every two weeks, from 1876
to 1879.

THE REV. JOHN WEMHOFF.

He was born in .Munster, Germany, on October 11, 1837.
He came to America in 1858 and made his home with his uncle.

192 Tie Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Bernard Wemhoff. He was ordained priest by Bishop Luers,
March 23, 1862. He celebrated his first Mass in St. Boniface's
Church, Lafayette, Indiana. He was Rev. Joseph Stephan's
assistant for one year and a half in different portions of the
diocese. In 1863, he was transferred to Avilla and remained
there for one year and a half, attending Ege as a mission.
On December 1, 1865, he became pastor of St. Mary's Church,
Decatur, having charge also of Hesse Cassel in 1868. In 1872
he was made pastor of St. Peter's Church, Fort Wayne, where
he labored faithfully till 1880, when on December 1st, of that
year, after a lingering illness, he breathed his last, at the age
of forty-three years and one month. His remains rest in the
cemetery at Fort Wayne.

THE REV. AEMILIAN WENDEL, O. S. B.

He was born at Aesgenrieth, Bavaria, October 22, 1832;
came to America, February 16, 1849; ordained priest at Coving-
ton, Kentucky, January 6, 1859. He was either the resident
or the visiting pastor of Lottaville, predecessor of Rev, Joseph
Flach.

THE REV. JAMES WERDEIN.

He was the first resident pastor at Remington, from 1883
to May 1886; pastor of Areola, from 1887 for about four years.
He died at Benton, Montana, on March 17, 1899, and is buried
at the same place.

THE REV. EDWARD WERLING.

He was born at Tiffin, Ohio, on April 12, 1877. He com-
pleted his classical studies at St. Joseph's College, near Rens-
selaer, Indiana. He made his philosophical and theological
studies at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cedar Point, Ohio, in
May 1907. He received tonsure in June, 1904; the two first
Minors in June, 1905; the two last Minors in June, 1906; Sub-

The Clergy, Continued. 193

deaconship March 15th, Deaconship March 16, 1907, at the
Seminary. He was ordained prfest by Bishop Alerding in the
Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on May 22, 1907. His first appoint-
ment was assistant at St. Joseph's Church, Mishawaka, on
June 8, 1907.

THE REV. JOSEPH WEUTZ.

He was born at Lastrup, Oldenburg, diocese of Munster,
September 19, 1832; came to America, October 24, 1854;
ordained priest, March 25, 1855. At the time of the separa-
tion of the diocese of Fort Wayne from that of Vincennes, in
1857, he was appointed pastor of St. Mary's Church, Fort
Wayne. He resigned in 1872 and retired to Gratz, Austria,
where he spent the last years of his life.

THE REV. FREDERICK C. WIECHMANN.

He was born at Washington, D. C, on January 3, 1846.
He made his studies in the seminaries at Philadelphia, Cleve-
land and Cincinnati. He was ordained priest by Bishop Luers,
on September 8, 1870, at Fort Wayne. His appointments were
the following: Assistant at St. Mary's Church, Fort Wayne,
one month; assistant at St. Charles' Church, Peru, from 1870
till 1871; first resident pastor of Wabash, from February 1871
till October 1879; pastor of Warsaw till 1884; pastor of Ander-
son, from August 1884 till May 1891; pastor of Grass Creek,
from October 1891 till the fall of 1893; pastor of Gas City and
the Soldiers' Home, from 1893 till the time of his death, Decem-
ber 15, 1905. Rochester, Elwood, Bunker Hill, Miami, Cicero,
Marion, North Manchester, Pierceton, Noblesville, Lucerne and
Fairmount were missions attended by him at different times.
His remains rest in the cemetery at Anderson.

THE REV. BERNARD WIEDAU.

He was born at Coesfeld, in the diocese of Munster, Ger-
many, on September 19, 1840. He spent nine years in the

194 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Gymnasium of Coesfeld, and three years at the Munster
University, and two years at the American Seminary, in
Louvain, Belgium. He was ordained a priest at MaHnes,
Belgium, for the diocese of Fort Wayne, on July 25, 1868. His
appointments were : Assistant at St. Vincent's Church, Logans-
port, till April 1869; pastor of Winamac, from April 1869 till
September 1870; assistant at St. Vincent's Church, Logansport,
till March, 1871 ; pastor pro tem. of St. Joseph's Church, Logans-
port, till January 1872; pastor at Dyer, from January till Decem-
ber 1872; pastor of Pulaski and Indian Creek, from the close of
1872 till 1873; pastor of Winamac, till the summer of 1873.
While pastor of Winamac, he attended Monterey as a mission.
Pastor of St. John Baptist's Church, New Haven, since July
1873. Father Wiedau is a Diocesan Consultor and Synodal
Examiner.

THE REV. HERMAN THEODORE WILKEN.

He was born at Soegel, in the former kingdom of Hanover,
on October 19, 1844. He emigrated to the United States in the
beginning of September 1860, landed at Baltimore, Maryland,
in the middle of October, and soon after arrived in Cincinnati,
Ohio. He was a chairmaker by trade, which he followed until
July 1864, when he enlisted in the United States Army as a
carpenter and as such spent a few months in Nashville, Ten-
nessee. Returning home, he made up his mind to study for
the priesthood and took private lessons from Fathers Top-
moeller and Stehle. He entered the St. Xavier's College, on
Sycamore street, Cincinnati, and graduated from there in 1870.
His studies were continued in Mount St. Mary's Seminary,
Cincinnati, until he was ordained priest by Archbishop Purcell,
on November 9, 1872. He arrived in Fort Wayne on Novem-
ber 20, 1872. His first Sunday on duty was at New Haven,
where the pastor was very sick. From November 1872 till
July 20, 1880, he was pastor of Areola, with the missions:
Monroeville, Bluffton, Hartford City, Montpelier and Blees
Settlement. He has been pastor of St. Mary's Church, Decatur,
since July 20, 1880. He is an irremovable rector and a member
of the Diocesan Building Committee. Having been pastor of

The Clergy, Continued. 195

St. Mary's Church for twenty-five years, the Silver Jubilee of
his pastorate was celebrated with becoming solemnity by his
parishoners and friends, on July 20, 1905.

THE REV. IGNATIUS M. WILKENS, O. F. M.

He was born February 15, 1856; entered the Order, Sep-
tember 17, 1871; ordained priest, December 21, 1878; in Lafay-
ette at St. Boniface's Church, from August 1888 to September

1890 and again, from 1891 to December 1892. From August

1891 to July 1892, he also visited the station Frankfort.

THE REV. WILIBALD WILLI, C. PP. S.

He was born in 1820, at Ems, Switzerland; came to this
country in December 1850; ordained priest, by Bishop Rappe
of Cleveland, at Tiffin, Ohio, January 27, 1851; entered the
Congregation of the Most Precious Blood in Switzerland. He
was the founder of the mission house, convent and parish of
Holy Trinity, Jay county, in 1853. He died December 15,
1854 and is buried at St. Mary's Home.

THE REV. THEOPISTUS WITTMER, C. PP. S.

He was born at ErHnsbach, diocese of Basle, July 9, 1848;
came to America, March 19, 1861 ; ordained priest at Cincinnati,
Ohio, January 25, 1872. He was the pastor of St. Peter's
Church, at Winamac, from 1873 to 1876.

THE REV. WILLIAM WOESTE.

He was born at Loeningen, Oldenburg, diocese of Munster,
Germany, in 1836; came to America, October 21, 1863; ordained
priest, July 22, 1864. He attended Hesse Cassel and Sheldon,
from 1866 till 1872. From the records, it appears, that he was
the first resident pastor of Roanoke with Nix Settlement as a

196 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

mission, from 1870 to November 19, 1880. He resided in a
private house at Roanoke and visited Nix Settlement twice a
month.

THE REV. EMANUEL JOSEPH WROBEL.

He was born on December 25, 1866, at Blottnitz, Salesia,
diocese of Breslau, Germany. His studies were made at St.
Francis' Seminary, Wisconsin, where he was ordained priest by
Bishop Richter of Grand Rapids, Michigan, on June 22, 1890.
He was assistant priest at St. Mary's Church, Michigan City,
from July 1890 to January 15, 1891, when he was appointed
pastor of St. Stanislaus' Church, of the same city, a newly
organized congregation. Father Wrobel is a member of the
Diocesan School Board.

THE REV. RICHARD WURTH, O. F. M.

He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on August 13, 1869, and
received the habit of St. Francis, in Oldenburg, Indiana, on
August 15, 1887. He was ordained priest, July 15, 1894.
From August 16, 1894 till December 23, 1896, he was assistant
priest at St. George's Church in Corryville, Cincinnati, Ohio.
On the latter date he was appointed pastor of St. Lawrence's
Church at Lafayette, which position he still holds.

THE REV. SIMON M. YENN.

He was born at South Bend, Indiana, on August 23, 1863.
He made his classical course in the Canisius' College at Buffalo,
New York. He began and completed his philosophical and
theological course at the Propaganda in Rome, Italy. He was
ordained priest in Rome by Archbishop Lenti, on April 20,
1889. He was pastor of Goshen, from August 1, 1889, till
February 1, 1900. Pastor of Areola and the mission Pierceton,
from February 1, 1900 till March 1, 1901. Pastor of Plymouth,
from March 1, 1901 till July 1, 1905. Chancellor of the diocese
of Fort Wayne since July 1, 1905. He is also the Secretary of
the Bishop's Council, of the Matrimonial Court and the Dio-
cesan Director of Gregorian Chant.

* The Clergy, Continued. 197

THE REV. AUGUST YOUNG.

He was born in Schleithal, Alsace, diocese of Strassburg,
Germany, March 29, 1842. He made his classical studies in
Strassburg and in Carthagena, Ohio, and his philosophical and
theological course at St. Vincent's, Pennsylvania. He was
ordained priest, on January 1, 1868, at Tiffm, Ohio, by Bishop
Rappe of Cleveland. He came to the diocese of Fort Wayne,
on March 19, 1868. His appointments were the following:
Assistant at Huntington till August 1869; Rensselaer Orphan
Asylum till October 1871; assistant at St. Mary's Church, Fort
Wayne, till August 5, 1872; pastor of Auburn and missions till
November 1886; pastor at Garrett, since November 1886. He
attended Remington while residing at Rensselaer.

THE REV. GREGORY ZERN.

He was born, October 13, 1869, near Sheldon, Indiana.
He studied the classics at Mount Calvary, Wisconsin, philos-
ophy and theology at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati,
Ohio. He was ordained priest at Fort Wayne, by Bishop
Rademacher, on June 21, 1895. His appointments were:
Assistant at St. Mary's Church, Michigan City, fifteen months;
pastor of Kewanna and Lucerne, from September 1896 till
August 1898; pastor of Monterey and Kouts, attending also
the missions, Rochester and Culver, from August 1898 to Octo-
ber 1900; pastor of St. Anthony's and mission, from October
1, 1900 till October 2, 1903; pastor of Goodland and Morocco,
from October 1903 till August 27, 1905, on which date he died
in St. Joseph's Hospital, Logansport. His remains were
interred in the cemetery at Fort Wayne.

THE REV. OTTO ZIEGLER, O. F. M.

He was born, September 6, 1868; entered the Order, August
30, 1885; ordained priest, December 17, 1892; assistant in
Lafayette, from January 1893 to August 1894, at St. Boniface's
Church. *

198 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

THE REV. IGNATIUS F. ZIRCHER.

He was born at Schirrheim, diocese of Strassburg, Ger-
many, on July 31, 1875. He studied the classics in St. Joseph's
College, near Rensselaer, philosophy and theology in Mount St.
Mary's Seminary, Cincinnati, Ohio, and was ordained priest,
by Bishop Alerding, in the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, on May
24, 1902. His appointments were: Assistant at SS. Peter
and Paul's Church, Huntington, from June 1902 to April 1905;
assistant at Garrett; assistant at Besancon; pastor of SS. Peter
and Paul's Church, Goodland, with Morocco as a mission, since
October 10, 1905.

THE REV. BEATUS ZISWYLER, C. PP. S.

He was born in 1 844 ; came to this country in 1 868 ; ordained
priest in 1873. He was the pastor of Pulaski, from 1873 to 1874;
pastor of Monterey to 1875.

THE REV. ANTHONY ZUBOWICZ, C. S. C.

He is a native of Poland and was born in 1860. He was
educated in his native country, commencing his classical educa-
tion and in 1883 emigrated to America. His classical, philo-
sophical and theological studies were completed at Notre Dame.
He was ordained priest by Bishop Richter of Grand Rapids,
on December 19, 1890. He was appointed assistant priest at
St. Hedwig's Church, South Bend, where he remained until
September 11, 1898. He was the first pastor of St. Casimir's
Church at South Bend, until April 11, 1899, when he resigned.
But he was reappointed and again took charge of St. Casimir's
Church, which position he has held since June 13, 1902.

THE REV. MATTHIAS ZUMBUELTE.

Son of Anthony and Elizabeth (Oelinghoff) Zumbuelte,
was born in Nottuln, diocese of Munster, Westphalia, Ger-
many, on February 19, 1839. Having completed his parochial
school education in his native city, he entered the Gymnasium

The Clergy, Concluded. 199

at Coesfeld, where he made his_classical studies. In 1861 he
went to Munster, where he made the study of philosophy and
two years of theology at the Academy. Bishop Luers, return-
ing from his visit to Rome, met young Zumbuelte and granted
him his wish of pursuing his studies in theology at the American
University of Louvain, Belgium. He remained here for two
years and was ordained priest by Cardinal Engelbert Sterkx,
Archbishop of Malines, Belgium, on May 26, 1866. He emi-
grated to America, in October of the same year and was made
assistant at St. Vincent's Church, Logansport, attending to the
missions: Harrison, Fulton (now Grass Creek), Winamac,
Buena Vista. In January 1868 he was sent to Avilla, assistant
to Rev. Dominic Duehmig, remaining until July, visiting the
missions: Kendall ville, Ligonier, Millersburg, Goshen, Water-
loo and Leo. In August of the same year, he was made pastor
of Leo with Waterloo, Auburn and St. Michael's, near Summit,
as missions. In 1872 he was transferred to Columbia City
having Pierceton and Warsaw as missions. He remained here
until 1875 when for seven months he had charge of Crown
Point. On Easter Monday of the year 1876 he left Crown
Point to make a visit to his native country and spend some
time with his aged parents. Upon his return in August of
1876, he was made Superintendent of the Orphan Asylum at
Rensselaer, remaining till April 1888. In the spring of 1888
he again crossed the ocean visiting his Alma Mater at Louvain
and spending three months in Germany. Returning in Sep-
tember of the same year, he took charge of St. Joseph's Church
at Reynolds with Francisville and Medaryville as missions.
In June 1889 he was transferred to his present charge that of
pastor of St. Martin's Church at Hanover Centre.

THE REV. GERARD ZURWELLEN.

He was born at Bisbeck, Oldenburg, diocese of Munster,
Germany, on October 21, 1844; emigrated to this country in
July, 1859; ordained priest, June 6, 1868. He was pastor of
Plymouth, from 1869 till the time of his death, February 5,
1883. From here he attended the missions Rochester and
Warsaw. His remains rest in the cemetery at Plymouth.

CHAPTER IX.

THE CHURCHES PRIOR TO 1S57, INCLUSIVE.

NOTRE DAME FORT WA"k"NE, THE CATHEDR.\L LAGRO LOGANS-
PORT, ST. VINCENT DE PAUL's — PERU — LAFAYETTE, ST.

MARY's HL"NTINGTON, SS. PETER AND PAUL's — DECATUR

— ST. JOHN FORT WAYNE, ST. MARYS — MISHAWAKA, ST.

JOSEPH'S — MICHIGAN CITY, ST. MARY'S — KIX SETTLE-
ment— besancon — hesse ca55el — lottaville pulaski

— avilla laporte, st. peters — south bend, st.

Joseph's — lafayette, st. eoniface's — monterey — st.

VINCENT — L"NI0N CITY — KEWANNA.

NOTRE DAME.

SACRED HEART CHURCH.
1831.

The first church, not only at Notre Dame but in the diocese
of Fort Wayne, was a log chapel erected bv Rev. Stephen
Theodore Badin, as early as 1831. At that time it was known
as the "Indian Chapel," and was the center of Father Badin's
missionary acti\ities throughout Northern Indiana and South-
em Michigan. It was located on the south edge of St. .Mary's
lake. Having been destroyed by fire in 1856, a facsimile of it
was erected recently, and the remains of Father Badin are
buried in it. White settlers from the earliest days worshipped
in this chapel and the present Sacred Heart Congregation has
the extraordinar}' privilege of having for their church the
magnificent Sacred Heart Church of Norte Dame. The num-
ber of famihes, however, is small being only fifty-eight in
number, or two hundred and ninety t\\'o souls. The pastor
of the congregation, at the present time, is Rev. M. A. McGarry,
C. S. C, D. D.

The Churches, Continued. 201

Father Badin had blessed a tract of land, about a mile
north of South Bend, between the upper Niles road and the
river, known as the "Old Indian Grave-yard," for a cemetery.
This location was looked upon as not desirable, and when
Father Sorin arrived, in 1842, he laid out the present cemetery
on Notre Dame avenue, half way between Notre Dame and
South Bend. Brother Francis, C. S. C, had charge of this
cemetery, and when, some years later, his favorite evergreens
gave it a sightly appearance, he called it Cedar Grove cemetery.
In 1842, it formed but a small corner, but it now extends over
twenty-five acres, and is being enlarged year after year. In
the early days, Cedar Grove was the only graveyard for Cath-
olics within many miles of South Bend, and for this reason,
even at this day, corpses are brought from great distances, to
be buried by the side of relatives and friends, who are interred
there.

FORT WAYNE.

CAIHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCF.PTION.
1837.

"The old Jesuit missionaries that may have visited Fort
Wayne, when it was a mere trading post, have left here no
record of their labors. The few Catholics that resided here
were visited, for the first time on record, on the 3rd, of June,
1830, by Very Rev. Stephen Theodore Badin, the first priest
ordained in the United States. He was then Vicar General of
the dioceses of Bardstown, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio.
At that time the State of Indiana was within the limits of the
diocese of Bardstown. Father Badin repeated his visits to
Fort Wayne in 1831, offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass
and preached in the residence of Francis Comparet, and, in
1832, when he performed the functions of his ministry in the
residence of John Bequette.

"The next priest who visited this city was Rev. L. Picot,
then pastor at Vincennes, September 25, 1832. Then Father
Badin was again in Fort Wayne December 25, 1832. Rev.
Boheme also in 1832. Father Badin again in 1833 and 1834.
Rev. Simon P. Lalumiere, pastor at Terre Haute, visited Fort

202 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Wayne in 1835. Rev. Felix Matthew Ruflf in 1835. Rev. J.
F. Terrooren in 1835. Rev. John Claudius Francois, stationed
at Logansport, visited Fort Wayne in January, February, May,
June, July and August, 1836.

"The first priest permanently appointed pastor of Fort
Wayne was Rev. Louis Mueller, who took possession in August,
1836, and remained until the 16th, of April, 1840. In 1838
Fort Wayne was visited by Bishop Brute. In the beginning
of 1840 Bishop Hailandiere appointed Rev. Julian Benoit
pastor of St. Augustine's Church, Fort Wayne, having to attend
(as missions) Lagro, Huntington, Columbia City, Warsaw,
Goshen, Avilla, New France, New Haven, Besancon, Hesse
Cassel and Decatur. His first assistant was Rev. Joseph
Hamion, a saintly young priest, who died at Logansport in
the early part of 1842. His second assistant was Rev. Joseph
Rudolph, who died in Oldenburg, Franklin county, Indiana,
after many years of hard missionary labors. His third assis-
tant was Rev. F. A. Carius, who remained but a short time.
The fourth was Rev. Alphonse Munschina, afterwards pastor
at Lanesville, Indiana. The fifth was Rev. Edward Faller,
who is now in the diocese of Vincennes. In 1849 the German
portion of St. Augustine's congregation built a church and
school-house, forming the first German speaking congregation
in Fort Wayne, St. Mary's, of which Father Faller was made
the first pastor." — (Father Benoit in History of Allen County.)

The first undertaking of Father Benoit was the finishing
of the church which had been begun by his predecessor. He
very soon after erected school-houses, and secured the Sisters
of Providence, and the Brothers of the Holy Cross, to take
charge of these schools.

The Right Rev. John H. Luers, who was appointed the
first bishop of Fort Wayne, took up his residence in Fort Wayne,
soon after his consecration, which took place on January- 10,
1858. He died June 29, 1871.

The Right Rev. Joseph Dwenger, the second bishop of
Fort Wayne, from April 14, 1872, till January 29, 1893.

The Right Rev. Joseph Rademacher, the third bishop of
Fort Wayne, from July 14, 1893, till January 12, 1900.

The Right Rev. Herman Joseph Alerding, the fourth bishop
of Fort Wayne, was consecrated November 30, 1900.

The Churches, Continued. 203

The first church in Fort Wayne was a small frame struct-
ure, erected in 1837, on the site of the present Cathedral and
was known as St. Augustine's Church. In 1859 this first
church was moved to the east side of the Cathedral Square,
facing on Clinton street, but was shortly after destroyed by
fire. In the same year, 1859, the present Cathedral was
erected at a cost of about |54,000. The greater part of this
money was collected by Father Benoit, while on a visit to New
Orleans. The organ, pews and other furniture cost over |9,000.
The episcopal residence was erected by Father Benoit, at a
cost of $16,000, paid from his own resources.

The first priest's house stood on the corner of Calhoun
and Lewis streets. It was erected by Rev. A. Bessonies, who
was pastor of St. Augustine's Church in 1853 and 1854, during
Father Benoit's sojourn in New Orleans.

The imposing building on Cathedral Square, known as
Library Hall, was erected in 1880, under the management of
Father Brammer. It was he, who secured a huge block of
Irish marble, which forms the corner stone of this building.

In 1896 the Cathedral underwent a thorough restoration,
at a cost of about |50,000. This work also was superintended
by Father Brammer.

In 1901, the first year of Bishop Alerding's administration,
the Bishop's House, on the corner of Lewis and Clinton streets,
was erected. The necessary funds were secured from the sale
of the old Cemetery grounds, near Fort Wayne, and of a farm,
in Jasper county.

In 1906 a Crypt, for the burial of church dignitaries, was
constructed beneath the sanctuary at an expense of over |1,000.
In 1907 two entrances, in addition to the main entrance, for
the convenience of the parish, and adding much to the appear-
ance of the building, were made at a cost of over |2,500.

The parish has five hundred and seventy-five families,
numbering two thousand and seven hundred souls. The
schools taught by four Brothers of the Holy Cross, and sixteen
Sisters of Providence, are attended by six hundred and seven
pupils. During Rev. P. F. Roche's pastorate a number of
improvements and many repairs were made, and $30,000 of
the debt on the Cathedral property paid, reducing the same
to less than $60,000.

204 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

The societies are: The SodaHty of the Blessed Virgin for
married men with one hundred and fifty members; the Rosary
Society for married women, three hundred and eighty members;
the SodaUty of the Blessed Virgin for single men, one hundred
and forty members, the same for single women, two hundred
and fifty members; the Children of Mary for boys and girls,
one hundred and ninety-five members; the Holy Angels' Society
for Children, one hundred and forty-three members. Besides
these there are the C. K. of A., the C. B. L., the A. O. H.,
A. O. H. Auxiliary, St. Joseph's Benevolent Association, and
the Knights of Columbus, with an aggregate membership of
eight hundred and forty.

We find the certificates of Baptism on the baptismal
record of the Cathedral at Fort Wayne, beginning with January
23, 1831, to the present time, signed as here follows:

1. Very Rev. Stephen Theodore Badin, from January
23, 1831, to January 5, 1832, affixing to his name Vicar General
of Bardstown and Cincinnati; from December 25, 1832 to
January 4, 1833, Vicar General of Bardstown; from June 8,
1834 to September 5, 1834, Protosacerdos Baltimorensis.

2. Rev. L. Picot from September 25, to October 11, 1832.

3. Rev. Boheme from 1832 to 1833.

4. Rev. Simon P. Lalumiere from May 31, to June 7,
1835.

5. Rev. Felix Matthew Ruff from August to September

10, 1835.

6. Rev. J. Ferd. Terrooren from November 20, to Decem-
ber 29, 1835.

7. Rev. J. C. Francois, January, February, May, June,
July, and August, 1836 and June 1839.

8. Rev. Louis Mueller from August 27, 1836, to May

11, 1840.

9. Rev. F. Bartels (pastor in Muenster) July 17, 1838.
10 Rev. Julian Benoit from April 9, 1840, to January

26, 1885.

11. Rev. Joseph de Mutzig Hamion from September 19,

1840, to April 17, 1842.

12. Rev. Michael Clark (pastore absente) August 13,

1841, June 1, and July 1842.

The Churches, Continued. 205

13. Rev. August Martin (pastore absente) May and June
1842.

14. Rev. Joseph Rudolph from July 18, 1842, to October
16, 1844.

15. Rev. J. B. Chasse October 10, 1842.

16. Rev. Alphonse Munschina from December 15, 1844,
to February 15, 1846.

17. Rev. A. Carius April 12, 1846, June 17, 1846, and
May 7, 1847.

18. Rev. L. Baroux October 29, 1846.

19. Rev. Edward M. Faller from November 8, 1846, to
November 11, 1849.

20. Rev. J. Baker July 24, 1852, and November 9, 1856-

21. Rev. A. Bessonies from March 11, 1853, to February
1, 1854.

22. Rev. Theodore Van der Poel March 31, 1859.
. 23. Rev. P. J. Madden February 1862.

24. Rev. B. Kroeger August 23, 1863.

25. Rev. E. P. Walters August 23, 1864.

26. Rev. Jacob Mayer January 20, 1864.

27. Rev. C. F. Smarius January 26, 1864.

28. Rev. L. Lamoor July 16, 1865.

29. Rev. M. M. Hallinan August 13, 1865.

30. Rev. Francis Siegelack May 13, 1866.

31. Rev. A. J. David May 31, 1868.

32. Rev. Joseph Brammer June 28, 1868, until his death,
June 20, 1898.

33. Rev. Edward Koenig July 13, 1868.

34. Rev. P. Jean Mcarleray November 17, 1868.

35. Rev. J. Weutz February 7, 1870.

36. Rev. W. F. M. O'Rourke July 30, 1871.

37. Rev. Z. Zaza October 29, 1871.

38. Rev. A. M. Aleile October 18, 1871 (Monroeville).

39. Rev. John Grogan from February 7, to May 26, 1872.

40. Rev. Joseph Graham from June 2, to November 3,
1872.

206 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

41. Rev. A. Young June 9, 1872.

42. Rev. A. Beine, O. S. F. August 22, 1872.

43. Rev. Joseph Rademacher November 11, 1872.

44. Rev. John WemhoflF December 8, 1872.

45. Rev. M. E. Campion from October 19, 1873, to April

4, 1875.

46. Rev. V. Putter, S. J., February 1, 1874.

47. Rev. Francis X. Baumgartner March 22, 1874.

48. Rev. Theodore Hibbelen August 4, 1874.

49. Rev. B. Theodore Borg from November 15, 1874, to
April 23, 1876.

50. Rev. P. M. Frawley from April 25, 1875, to July 11,
1875.

51. Rev. John R. Dinnen from December 4, 1875, to May

5, 1878.

52. Rev. M. F. Kelly July 2, 1876.

53. Rev. L. A. Moench from October 8, 1876, to Novem-
ber 10, 1878.

54. Rev. James M. Hartnett from May 11, 1878, to
October 17, 1880.

55. Rev. B. Roche, C. S. C. October 6, 1880, October
1882, August 24, 1888.

56. Rev. A. J. H. Kroeger November 7, 1880.

57. Rev. Henry A. Boeckelmann from December 1, 1880,
to February 16, 1885.

58. Rev. P. F. Roche from July 12, 1881, to December
11, 1881, and since June 16, 1901.

59. Rev. Charles A. Ganzer November 16, 1882.

60. Rev. James Twigg April 4, 1882.

61. Rev. Constantine Maujay April 29, 1882.

62. Rev. John F. Lang October 31, 1882.

63. Rev. T. M. O'Leary from February 26, 1885, to
October 1889.

64. Rev. F. A. King August 3, 1885.

65. Rev. Charles M. Romer June 27, 1886.

66. Rev. Joseph Uphaus August 22, 1886.

67. Rev. Joseph F. Delaney from July 24, 1887, to
November 27, 1889.

The Churches, Continued. 207

68. Rev. William J. Ouinlan from July 10, 1888, to
August 30, 1891.

69. Rev. Michael J. Byrne July 22, 1888, and again
September 3, 1898.

70. Rev. John R. Quinlan July 13, 1890, and again
March 10, 1901.

71. Rev. M. Robinson, C. S. C. August 20, 1890.

72. Rev. Charles B. Guendling August 6, 1892.

73. Rev. George M. Schramm May 28, 1893.

74. Rev. F. X. Labonte July 11, 1894.

75. Rev. Thomas Eisenring, C. PP. S. October 18, 1894.

76. Rev. Julius Becks September 8, 1895.

77. Rev. L. R. Paquet October 27, 1895.

78. Rev. A. E. Lafontaine May 25, 1896.

79. Rev. George Lauer May 30, 1897.

80. Rev. F. J. Dandurand August 8, 1897.

81. Rev. John Durham August 19, 1897.

82. Rev. John H. GuendHng August 1, 1898.

83. Rev. P. J. O'Reilly July 16, 1899.

84. Rev. J. H. Bathe September 21, 1899.

85. Rev. Charles Dhe November 25, 1899.

86. Rev. Aegidius, O. S. B. July 21, 1901.

87. Rev. James B. Fitzpatrick August 4, 1901.

88. Rev. William D. SulUvan June 8, 1902.

The Very Rev. Julian Benoit, V. G. was rector of the
Cathedral until January 26, 1885, the date of his death; the
Very Rev. Joseph Brammer, V. G. from January 1885 till
June 20, 1898, the date of his death; the Very Rev. John H.
Guendhng, V. G. from July 15, 1898, till February 1901; the
Rev. John R. Quinlan from March to May 16, 1901, when, on
account of his health, he resigned and was succeeded by the
Rev. Patrick F. Roche, who is the rector since May 16, 1901.

The assistants at the Cathedral were: Rev. John P. Dur-
ham from June 17, 1897, till March 7, 1901; Rev. Peter J.
O'Reilly from December 1897, till January 1902; Rev. James
B. Fitzpatrick from July 1901, till February 1903; Rev. William
D. Sullivan since June 1902; Rev. William C. Miller since
August 28, 1906, whose duties are to assist at the Cathedral
and do clerical work at the Bishop's House.

208 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

LAGRO.

ST. Patrick's church.
1838.

Jesuit Missionaries, on their way from Montreal, Canada,
to post Vincennes, visited Lagro as early as 1800. The ven-
erable missionary. Father Badin, stopped there, in 1833, on
his way from Fort Wayne to Logansport. The construction
of the Wabash and Erie Canal, in 1837, opened up a general
traffic, and Lagro became the chief shipping center for wheat,
corn and other crops. A number of families, of whom many
were Irish Catholic, came from the east to make Lagro and
its vicinity their home.

Lagro has no church records prior to 1846, but such names
as: de St. Palais, Benoit, Clark, and Franciscans, are frequently
mentioned. It was in 1838, when Thomas Fitzgibbon donated
two lots, and a frame church, 30x40 feet was erected. Begin-
ning with the year 1846, we have the following names of
clergymen, who attended to the spiritual wants of St. Patrick's
Congregation :

1. Rev. Patrick McDermott, from May 24, 1846, to
August 27, 1847.

2. Rev. Michael C. O'Flannigan, from September 12,
1847, to August 8, 1848.

3. Rev. John Ryan, from September 9, 1848 to January

1865, who built an addition of 30x40 feet to the church. The
church having now the dimensions of 60x40 feet. He had
charge also of the missions, Huntington, Wabash, Warsaw and
Pierceton. On November 20, 1857 he bought two acres of
land for cemetery purposes.

4. Rev. Bernard Kroeger from January to September

1866, who bought the old priest's house for |1,000.

5. Rev. George Steiner, from September 1, 1866 until
August 1, 1868. During his absence on a collecting tour for
the Orphan Asylums, from September 25 until December 22,
1866, Rev. J. A. Winter supplied his place. Father Steiner
bought a frame house for |200, and opened in it the first
parochial school, with Julia Cannon, the teacher.

The Churches, Continued. 209

6. Rev. Matthew E. Campion, from August 3, 1868 until
October 1, 1873, who built the present brick church, with a
frontage of 50 feet, a depth of 114 feet, and a height from floor
to ceiling of 38 feet, having a seating capacity of 600. The
corner stone was laid by Bishop Luers, on June 15, 1870. The
church being under roof September 1, 1872, a fair was held in
it netting the handsome amount of |1,600. Bishop Dwenger
dedicated the church, on March 17, 1873. This was the most
flourishing period in the history of Lagro. The number of
souls, belonging to St. Patrick's Church, was 300 families. At
the present writing St. Patrick's has lost much of its prestige,
as may appear from the following comparative statements:
In 1870, forty-five baptisms, in 1906 five; in 1870, marriages
sixteen, in 1906 none; in 1870 deaths eighteen, in 1906 two.

7. Rev. John Grogan, from October 1, 1873, until March
1, 1882, who placed oak pews in the church, a stairway to the
gallery, a most ornamental communion railing of black walnut,
a handsome pulpit, confessional, baptismal font and, besides
all this, had the church frescoed. The total cost of the church
with furnishings was more than |20,000, all cash paid.

8. Rev. M. F. Kelly, from April 20, 1882 until January
1884.

9. Rev. Patrick F. Roche, from February 3, 1884 until
August 24, 1888, who purchased the pipe organ, for |700.

10. Rev. Anthony J. Kroeger, from August 28, 1888 until
June 1, 1890, who reopened the school in the old frame church,
and secured the Sisters of St. Francis of Lafayette, as teachers.
He also built the church in Andrews.

11. Rev. Jeremiah Quinlan, from June 1890, until July
1891.

12. Rev. John Tremmel, from July to August 1891.

13. Rev. Julius Becks, from August 1891 till August 1894.

14. Rev. G. M. Kelly, from August 29, 1894 till Novem-
ber 1895.

15. Rev. Michael Hanly, from December 1, 1895, until
December 27, 1897.

16. Rev. Peter Joseph Quinn, pastor since January 1,
1898.

210 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Father Quinn found the church property sorely in need
of repairs. He expended over |2,000 for this purpose. The
lots on the cemetery having been sold, he purchased the ad-
joining five acres, inclosing the same with. an iron fence, entail-
ing an expense of about |600. In 1904, Father Quinn built a
parochial residence, with modern improvements, at a cost of
about |4,000. The present indebtedness of the congregation
is |125. The number of souls is 250, or forty famihes, most of
whom live in the surrounding country.

St. Patrick's Church has the following societies: The
Rosary Society, organized about the year 1858; St. Patrick's
Total Abstinence Society, also of an early date; the League of
the Sacred Heart; the Young Ladies' Sodality, and the St.
Aloysius' Sodality. Aside from their spiritual purposes, these
societies assist the pastor in temporal affairs.

One boy of the parish became a priest, and four girls have
entered the religious life.

It is asserted by those, who seem to know, that the bell,
hanging in St. Patrick's Church tower, is the first bell to have
swung its sweet sound over the Wabash valley. It was pur-
chased during the pastorate of Father Ryan and everybody,
Catholic or non-CathoHc, contributed toward it. It was not
an easy matter to ship that bell to Lagro. A young man,
named Pasque, drove to Toledo with a yoke of oxen. Here
he waited for two weeks in vain and concluded to go on to
Buffalo, where he found the bell. In the meantime the citizens
of Lagro became uneasy, wondering what could have happened
to Pasque, and why the bell did not come. At last, one fine
morning, the old ox team plodded into town with the bell on
the wagon. It was a great day for Lagro. There was shouting
and singing and procession and hurrah, until the bell was ring-
ing in the tower. That bell now hangs in the tower of the
present St. Patrick's Church. The oldest inhabitant of Lagro
says: "1 don't believe I would be happy if I didn't hear old
St. Patrick's bell. That old bell has rung for children that
have grown old, and it has tolled lots of old friends of mine
into the cemetery up there." The bell has a clear sweet tone
and citizens of Lagro say, they have heard its peal nine miles
distant from the town.

The Churches, Continued. 211

LOGANSPORT.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUl's CHURCH.

1838.

The history of St. Vincent de Paul's Congregation begins ,
about the year 1838. The members, at that time, were made
up mainly of laborers engaged in the construction of the Wabash
and Erie canal, through this section of the country. Previous
to that time, the few Catholics at Logansport were attended by
missionaries, who travelled up and down the Wabash Valley,
in their missionary work.

In the year 1838, the Rev. John Claude Francois made the
first effort to establish a permanent place of worship. He
purchased five acres of land reserved to the children of Joseph
Barrow, by a treaty with the Pottawottamies; later, making
still other purchases, until a total of over twenty-three acres
had been secured. On this land he erected a story-and-a-half
log structure, to serve the purposes both of a church and a
pastoral residence. The congregation increasing rapidly.
Father Francois found it necessary to secure better accommo-
dations, and within a year erected a sufficiently large church,
on Duret street, which supplied the needs of the congregation
for several years, from 1842 to 1861.

In the year 1860, lots 151, 152, 153 and 154, in John Tip-
ton's addition to the town of Logansport, fronting on Spencer
street, were secured, together with pieces of ground between
these lots and the Wabash and Erie canal. Upon this site,
the present St. Vincent de Paul's Church was begun, by the
laying of the cornerstone in 1860, and its completion and
dedication in 1863. At this time, the Rev. George A. Hamilton
was the pastor. The church is in the Gothic style of archi-
tecture. In the year 1888, Father Campion built an addition
to the church, at a cost of |1 1,500. The twenty-three acres
mentioned above, on which the original church was located,
were sold during the pastorate of Father Hamilton. The
interior of St. Vincent de Paul's Church is beautifully finished.
The present pastor. Rev. P. J. Crosson, has made many improve-
ments including the frescoing of the interior of the church, for
$1,200; the placing of opulescent stained glass in the windows.

212 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

for |2,000, a steam heating plant, for |2,400. The seating
capacity of the church is 700. The church property has a
debt on it of $6,200.

The parochial schools were taught by lay teachers, until
the year 1865, when the Sisters of the Holy Cross took charge.
As early as 1850, though for a short time only, school was
taught in the old stone church on Canal street. From 1863,
the second parochial school was opened in the Cullom building,
on Second and Market streets, where the Sisters of the Holy
Cross began to have charge. The present large, three-story
brick school was erected in 1868, at a cost of $18,000. The
study halls and class rooms are well furnished. The third
story of the building is a large hall, giving ample room for
school and other entertainments. This school possesses a bell
of historical interest. It was purchased by Father de St.
Palais, afterwards Bishop of Vincennes, on occasion of his
visit to Paris, in 1845. It was cast under his special super-
vision, and was presented by him to St. Vincent de Paul's
Church.

What is now Holy Angels' Academy, was formerly known
as the Walker property, and was secured in the year 1871, for
a consideration of $18,000. Many alterations were made in
the building, to make it answer the purpose for which it is now
used. The Sisters of the Holy Cross also reside in this building
and from here attend the boys' school on the church grounds.
A course of eight grades is given the boys and a full high school
course the girls; although if desired the boys are also taught
bookkeeping, typewriting and stenography. Ten Sisters have
charge of 250 children.

The pastoral residence is a two-story brick building,
adjacent to the church, on the east side. It was erected in
the year 1879, during the pastorate of Father Walters, at a
cost of $5,000. The small, frame house, which formerly stood
here, was sold and removed to Thirteenth street. Additions
to the house, with repairs and improvements, including a hot
water plant, done since Father Crosson's advent, amount to
$4,700.

The following is an authentic list of the pastors of St.
Vincent's Church: Rev. John Claude Francois, from 1838 to
1841; Rev. August Mary Martin, from 1841 to 1844; Rev.

The Churches, Continued. 213

Michael J. Clark, in 1844; Rev. Maurice de St. Palais, in 1845;
Rev. Francis Fischer, from 1846 to 1848; Rev. P. Murphy,
from 1848 to 1850; Rev. Patrick McDermott, in 1850; Rev.
P. O'Connell, in 1852; Rev. Francis Anthony Carius, from 1852
to 1855; Rev. William Doyle, from 1855 to 1857; Rev. Charles
Zucker, from May 1857 to August 1859; Rev. George A. Ham-
ilton, from August 1859 to January 1864; Rev. Bernard Joseph
Force, from January 1864 to April 1868; Rev. Matthew E.
Campion, from April 1868 to January 1869; Rev. Jacob Mayer,
from January 1869 to July 1871; Rev. Francis Lawler, from
July 1871 to May 1878; Rev. Edward P. Walters, from May
1878 to June 1883; Rev. Matthew E. Campion, from June 1883
to December 1899; Rev. Patrick J. Crosson, since February
1900.

St. Vincent's is one of the irremovable rectorates of the
diocese. It has 270 families, numbering 1215 souls.

This parish has the Sodality of the Living Rosary and the
Children of Mary; The League of the Sacred Heart; The St.
Vincent's Cadets and Total Abstinence Society, and the Cath-
olic Benevolent Legion.

Three boys of this congregation have become priests, and
twelve girls have entered religious communities.

The Church of the Immaculate Conception at Woodville,
is visited from St. Vincent's Church on the last Sunday of each
month. The members of this mission are pew-holders at St.
Vincent's. The Rev. Francis A. King, residing in St. Joseph's
Hospital, is the assistant pastor of St. Vincent's church.

PERU.

ST. CHARLES BORROMEO's CHURCH.
1838.

The city of Peru was surveyed in the spring of 1834, and,
in the summer of the same year, work was let on the construc-
tion of the canal bed, which brought persons seeking work or
engaged in trade to this place. The records have preserved
for us the names of some of the earliest missionaries, visiting
Peru. The first of these is Rev. Stephen Badin, from 1834 to

214 Tie Diocese of Fort Wayne.

1837. During the summer of 1835 visits were made by the
Rev. John A. Corcoran, who died here, and was buried on the
north banks of the Wabash river between the river and the
canal; later his remains were removed to the Reyburn cemetery
at the instance of WilHam D. McGregor, the first white resident
on the site of Peru; and later still, in 1887, fifty-two years after
his death, was reinterred in St. Charles' cemetery, on the lot
of Michael Cannon. The Rev. Matthew Ruff paid a visit in
1837. From 1837 to 1842 Rev. Michael J. Clark was the pastor
of Peru, and quasi resident. Rev. Maurice de St. Palais,
residing at Logansport, attended Peru from 1842 to 1845.
Rev. Francis Fischer, in 1846, and Rev. Patrick McDermott
from 1848 to 1852, both from Logansport. Rev. August M.
Martin, Rev. William Doyle, from 1851 to 1852; Rev. Anthony
Carius, from 1852 to 1857, who afterwards was a priest in the
Leavenworth diocese and died chaplain in an Ursuline convent,
St. Louis, Missouri; Rev. Charles T. Zucker from 1857 to 1860,
later in the diocese of Albany, New York; Rev. George A.
Hamilton, who came from Logansport September 1, 1859.
He purchased several acres, for cemetery purposes. These
latter priests were supposed to hold services about once a
month.

It is a matter of record that on June 19, 1838, for a con-
sideration of $2.00, William N. Hood and Sophia C. Hood
conveyed to "William Brute, CathoHc Bishop, and to his
successors in the holy office, lots 259 and 260, original plat."
A frame church, 20x40, was erected on lot 259 in 1838. The
first resident pastor was Rev. Bernard Joseph Force, who was
appointed as such on April 15, 1860. On November 26, 1860,
he secured the adjoining lot 261 for |250. The last purchase
of ground, lots 257 and 258 for |4,400 on March 22, 1901, was
made by Rev. H. Meissner.

On January 5, 1864, Rev. Bernard Kroeger was made
pastor in Peru. Having added a little sacristy to the frame
church, he proceeded to the erection of a new church of brick
of Gothic design, 133x60 feet. All but the steeple was com-
pleted for $21,000, and was dedicated by Bishop Luers on
December 8, 1867. When Father Kroeger left on October 1,
1871, the church had hardly any debt. Father Meissner added
the spire, 183 feet to the church in 1888, which with roof im-

The Churches, Continued. 215

provements cost |9,500. He had the church frescoed, and
put in Munich stained, glass windows, costing together $6,000.
A pipe organ for |3,000 was added in 1893; the Main Altar was
remodeled and two new Side Altars erected, in 1884, the latter
costing |1,050, stations of the Cross |150, pulpit $500.

Rev. J. H. Guendling, who has been the pastor since July
4, 1902, had the church redecorated in 1905 and the church
completely furnished, for a total of $4,900. The steam heating
plant for church, school and house was put in, in 1902, for
$6,000. The seating capacity of the church is 600.

For a number of years school was taught in the church
itself, but when the present church was occupied in 1867, the
old church was used for school purposes, until it burned down
in 1873, when Rev. Lawrence Lamoor proceeded at once to
the erection of the present school building, three stories, 50x80
feet, with residence for Sisters annexed, costing $16,000.

The records show that Rev. Michael J. Clark personally
taught the school, from 1837 to 1842. During the pastorate
of Father Force, Gabriel Volkert taught the classes, and "led
in prayer," during the absence of the pastor. At that time
the school was on the corner of Fifth and Wabash streets, in
the pastor's residence. Some time after. Father Force engaged
Franz Edtler to assist his sister Mary Force, in the care of the
schools; but Professor Edtler, shortly after, accepted the posi-
tion of organist of the Fort Wayne Cathedral, which he held
for twenty-five years. Victor Stephens came next, and was
succeeded, in 1866, by Theodore Wolfram who resigned in 1867,
followed by John Schenk, a brilliant young pedagogue, later a
brother-in-law to Count John Creighton, of Omaha. Thomas
Miller and Mary Kinney had charge of the school for two years
from 1866 to 1868. The last of the lay teachers was Professor
Rudolph Ladislaus Mueller of Zamzow, a native of Pomerania,
conversing fluently in fifteen different languages, lecturer on
mathematics in a military academy in Prussia, came to the
United States lectured east and west on ethnological subjects,
lost his considerable wealth in mining, would not return home
where he had been disinherited on account of his conversion
to the Catholic Faith, taught in St. Vincent's College, West
Moreland, Pennsylvania, for several terms, when Rev. B.
Kroeger, a former pupil of his, offered him the position of

216 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

teacher of the parochial school at Peru. He filled this position
satisfactorily for three and a half years, when Bishop Dwenger
secured his services for the seminary of the Sanguinist Fathers
at Carthagena, Ohio, where he became a member of that
community and died in 1885. Rev. B. Kroeger in September,
1869, invited the Ursuline Sisters, four in number, to teach
the girls in the parish school, the boys being taught by Francis
G. Horn. Father Lamoor, who succeeded Father Kroeger, in
October 1871, invited the Sisters of Providence from St. Mary-
of-the-Woods to take charge of the school, which they did in
1874; and Frank Horn resigning in September, 1881, these
Sisters assumed charge of the boys' school also. The usual
grades are taught by nine Sisters, and the attendance is 261.

The pastoral residence was erected by Father Force, in
1861, to which Rev. H. Meissner built an addition in 1890.
The original cost was $1,700.

The various organizations of the parish are: The Rosary
Society, since 1858, for women only, with 100 members; the
Catholic Knights of America, since 1878, with forty members;
the Ancient Order of Hibernians, with forty-eight members,
and the Auxiliary of the same, since 1897, with forty-five
members; the St. Aloysius' Society, since 1864, with forty-three
members; the Poor Souls Confraternity, since 1880, with 200
members; the Young Ladies' Sodality, with 113 members;
the Third Order of St. Francis, with fifty members; the Knights
of Columbus, since 1902, with 140 members. The total number
of souls of the parish is 1,100, constituting 250 families. The
debt on the church property at present is |4,000.

The records of the parish note some special events: Rev.
Anthony Carius was the celebrant of the first High Mass in
Peru in 1853; Confirmation was administered for the first time
in 1859; a week's Mission in February 1862, and the first in
Peru, conducted by Rev. F. X. Weninger, S. J.; Father Meiss-
ner, having paid the church debt of |16,350 with |5,000 accumu-
lated interest, made due publication of the fact and the event
was commemorated in a Jubilee of thanksgiving, on January
1, 1887; Bishop Dwenger named Father Meissner irremovable
rector, on January 14, 1887; the third centennial of St. Charles
Borromeo, November 3, and 4, 1884; the Silver Sacerdotal
Jubilee of Father Meissner, July 5, 1893.

The Churches, Continued. 217

Nine young men of St. Charles'-Parish have become priests,
and twelve young women have entered rehgious communities.

St. Charles' Church has had these pastors: Rev. Bernard
Joseph Force, from April 15, 1860 to January 5, 1864; Rev.
Bernard Kroeger, from January 5, 1864 to October 1, 1871
Rev. Lawrence Lamoor from January 1872 to September 1875
Rev. Henry Meissner, from September 13, 1875 to July 2, 1902
Rev. John H. Guendling, since July 4, 1902.

St. Charles' Church has had these assistant priests: Rev.
Lawrence Lamoor, 1866; Rev. Michael Hanley, 1867 about a
year; Rev. B. Theodore Borg, from July 1868 till 1869; Rev.
Patrick Frawiey from 1869 till 1870; Rev. J. H. O'Brien, June
1870; Rev. Frederick C. Wiechmann, from September 1870 till
1871 ; Rev. John Sand, from December 25, 1898 to July 5, 1899;
Rev. John C. Keller, from July 5, 1899 to July 12, 1901; Rev.
JuHus Seimetz, from July 12, 1901 to June 30, 1905; Rev.
John Oberholz, from June 30, 1905 till June 24, 1906; Rev.
Joseph A. Lynn, since June 24, 1906.

St. Ann's chapel, of the Wabash R. R. in charge of four
Sisters of St. Francis, Maryville, Mo., is attended from St.
Charles' Church.

LAFAYETTE.

ST. Mary's church.

1844.

The city of Lafayette was laid out in 1825, and in 1840 it
had at least fifteen Catholic families. At their request. Bishop
de la Hailandiere directed Rev. August Martin, residing at
Logansport, to visit Lafayette occasionally, and after him
visits were made also by Rev. C. Francois, as well as by Rev.
Simon P. Lalumiere, of Terre Haute. In those days Mass
was celebrated in the houses of the different families.

In 1843, the Bishop of Vincennes gave Lafayette its first
resident pastor, in the person of Rev. Michael J. Clark. The
number of families had now increased to twenty-five, and
Father Clark rented a one-story brick building, on Fourth
street just south of the postofifice, in which the services were

218 The Diocese of Fort JVayne.

regularly held. In 1844, a site was bought on the corner of
Fifth and Brown streets, on which in the same year the St.
Mary and Martha's Church was erected, at a cost of |10,000,
and was at the time the most imposing and handsomest church
edifice in all Northern Indiana; known later as St. Joseph's
Hall, and still existing under the name of Columbian Hall.
A priest's house was built, in the rear of the church, but was
soon after destroyed by fire. The pastor, appreciating the
importance of a parochial school, erected a school building on
the ruins of the pastoral residence. Father Clark remained
the energetic pastor at Lafayette for fourteen years until 1857,
when he went to Illinois, and having charge of a congregation
in Bloomington, died full of years and good works.

Rev. Daniel Maloney succeeded Father Clark, but remained
only one year and a half, when he was given an appointment
in Indianapolis. Rev. Edmund B. Kilroy came next in 1859,
and remained until 1861. In 1860, Lawrence B. Stockton
donated a plot of ground, known as Seminary Hill, for a church,
school, and parochial residence. The Sisters of Providence
erected the present St. Ignatius' Academy on these grounds,
at their own expense, for $20,000. Up to the arrival of the
Sisters of Providence, the parochial school was taught by lay
teachers, on Fifth street, with an attendance of about fifty
pupils. Father Kilroy was appointed chaplain for the United
States troops, during the Civil War, in 1861, and was succeeded,
as pastor at Lafayette, by the Rev. George A. Hamilton, a
cousin of Archbishop Spalding, and a Kentuckian by birth.
The foundation of the new St. Mary's Church had been laid
by Father Kilroy, and after five years of indefatigable labor,
and at a cost of $60,000 over and above that which had been
expended on the foundation, the church was completed and
dedicated in 1866. The present pastoral residence was erected
at an outlay of $8,000. The boys' school, on South street,
was constructed and paid for by the Community of the Holy
Cross, of Notre Dame. The Brothers of the Holy Cross were
the teachers of the boys' school, from 1867 until 1895.

Father Hamilton also erected St. Ann's Chapel, on Wabash
avenue; and bought twelve acres of land for the enlargement
of St. Mary's cemetery. After a most successful pastorate of
eleven years, Father Hamilton died suddenly on April 8, 1875,

The Churches, Continued. 219

with barely time for his assistant, Father HalHnan, to admin-
ister the sacrament of Extreme Unction. His remains rest
beneath St. Mary's Church. The Rev. Matthew E. Campion
was pastor of St. Mary's Church, for about four and a half
years. During his time two elegant side altars were provided.
He paid off a large sum of the indebtedness of the church, and
gave much time and attention to beautifying St. Mary's
cemetery. At his own request he was relieved of his charge
here, and was appointed pastor at Laporte. The Rev. Martin
Noll was appointed in 1880, and came here from Elkhart. He
arranged at once for a mission in St. Mary's Church, but, the
mission hardly over, he died of a stroke of apoplexy, within a
month of his arrival, on June 4, 1880. Rev. Joseph Rademacher
now was the pastor of St. Mary's Church, from June 1880 to
June 24, 1883, when he was consecrated Bishop of Nashville.
He was noted for zeal and prudence and loved by all, for his
gentle and fatherly disposition. He was popularly known as
Father Joseph.

In June 1883, the Rev. Edward P. Walters succeeded
Father Joseph. In 1887, St. Mary's Church was made an ir-
removable rectorate and deanery. During his time, Father
Walters had the church beautifully frescoed, and artistic
stained glass windows put in. He reduced the debt of |1 5,000
to |2,500. He died, after an illness of only a few weeks, on
June 12, 1894. His remains rest in St. Mary's cemetery. On
August 4, 1894, Rev. John R. Dinnen was appointed rector of
St. Mary's Church. In the year follovv'ing he purchased the
boys' school building and grounds from the Community of the
Holy Cross, at Notre Dame, and within two years paid off the
old debt of St. Mary's. In the spring of 1898, a steeple was
added to the church. The interior of the church was wholly
renovated, a new floor was put in throughout, with new pews,
stained glass windows in the front of the church; and, besides
all this, a costly heating plant for heating the church, the
academy, the boys' school and pastoral residence was installed.
These improvements were made from June to October 1904,
at a cost of about f^l4,000. The indebtedness on the church
property, at the present time, is $6,150.

St. Mary's Congregation numbers about 255 families or
965 souls. One hundred and seventy children attend the

220 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

schools, conducted by eight Sisters of Providence, including a
high school course. The Confraternity of the Sacred Heart of
Jesus, with 150 members; the Children of Mary with forty-five;
the Young Ladies' Sodality of the Immaculate Conception,
with fifty; the Rosary Society, with fifty-six; the Holy Name
Society, with forty-five, and the Holy Angels' Society, with
forty-eight, constitute the organizations of the parish.

The following were the assistants at St. Mary's Church:
Rev. Charles Mougin, Rev. Joseph A. Winter, Rev. Burns,
Rev. Michael M. HalHnan, Rev. John R. Dinnen, Rev. A. M.
Meile, Rev. John Ryan, Rev. M. Joy, Rev. Constantine Maujay,
Rev. Patrick J. Crosson, Rev. Patrick F. Roche, Rev. James
Twigg, Rev. Denis J. Mulcahy, Rev. James H. Werdein, Rev.
Robert J. Pratt, Rev. Frederick J. Dandurand, Rev. Leopold
Under, C. PP. S., Rev. Peter J. Quinn, Rev. Peter J. O'Reilly,
Rev. Frank Jansen, Rev. Charles E. McCabe, Rev. John C.
Wakefer, Rev. Edward J. Houlihan, Rev. Felix T. Seroczynski,
Rev. Joseph Lynn, and Rev. F. Joseph Mutch.

HUNTINGTON.

SS. PETER AND PAUL'S CHURCH.
1845.

Catholicity, in Huntington county, dates back to the year
1838, when about a half dozen families, chiefly Irish laborers,
were employed in the construction of the canal. The Rev,
Julian Benoit was the first offerer of the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass, on August 15, 1843, in the residence of the Roche family.
After Father Benoit, Rev. E. M. Faller and Rev. John Ryan
attended Huntington, as a station, regularly every three months.
During this time, Francis Lafontaine, chief of the Miami Indian
tribe, and his father-in-law, Rushville, donated a piece of
ground, on which a small log church was erected. The chief
Lafontaine died April 13, 1847, and was buried near the log
church.

The first resident priest at Huntington was Rev. Dr. A.
Schippert, native of the kingdom of Wuertemberg, and a con-
vert from lutheranism. He lived in a rented cottage on Cherry

The Churches, Continued. 221

street. He procured and laid out a new cemetery at the edge
of town. His pastorate continued from March 1857 till August
1858, when on account of ill health he retired to Innsbruck,
Tyrol.

His immediate successor was Rev. Frederick Fuchs, a
native of Munster, Westphalia. He came to Huntington from
Cincinnati. He immediately built a frame addition to the log
church, and opened a school. He also erected a priest's house
of brick, remarking that at last the "fox had found shelter."
The number of families at this time was one hundred German
and thirty-nine Irish and French families. After five years
of successful labor, considerations of health brought about his
removal to Klaasville. Rev. Martin Kink was pastor, from
August to December 1863. Bavaria was his native country,
to which he returned and where he died. In December, 1863,
Rev. Jacob Mayer was appointed pastor. It was he who built
the present church, a Gothic structure of brick, 142x58 feet.
The cost of the building amounted to about |30,000, of which
he paid all but |9,564. After five years of indefatigable labors,
he was transferred to Logansport, in August 1868. The next
pastor was Rev. George Steiner, born in New Ulm, Bavaria,
April 13, 1836. He gave the School Sisters of Notre Dame
charge of the school; he completed the church spire and gave
the steeple a clock; he furnished oil paintings of the fourteen
stations of the cross, and in 1873, built a large and substantial
school house of brick, together with a Sisters' residence at a
cost of |1 7,000. He suffered with hemorrhage of the lungs
and spent the winter of 1876 to 1877 in Florida, and spring
and summer of 1877 in Minnesota to recover his health. In
the meantime. Rev, J. H. Hueser, D. D., had charge of the
parish. In January, 1880, he resigned as pastor and with his
faithful friend. Rev. Julius Becks, went to Albuquerque, New
Mexico, where he died peacefully, on June 1st, of the same year.

The pastorate of his successor, Rev. J. H. Hueser, D. D.,
extends from January 1880 to August 24, 1906. During this
time he paid off old debts in the sum of |14,238, and besides
made repairs and improvements, aggregating |43,000. The
improvements made were a new pastoral residence for |10,000,
a main altar $2,300, a chime of three bells |1,350, frescoing of
the church and renovating the same $6,000, an organ |4,000,

222 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

ten stained glass windows from the Tyrolese Art Glass Company
|5,140, tuck pointing brick work of church, and veneering the
foundation 1 1,300, furnaces for the three buildings $2,500,
cemetery of twenty acres $4,200.

The societies of SS. Peter and Paul's Parish are: St.
Joseph's Society, since 1857, with a membership of seventy-one;
the Archconfraternity of Christian Mothers, with 160 members;
St. Aloysius Society, for Young Men, with forty-two members;
the Young Ladies' Sodality, with 100 members; the Holy Angels'
Sodality with eighty-eight members.

The following were assistants at SS. Peter and Paul's:
Rev. William Geers, from August 1877 to February 1879, now
a priest of the diocese of Marquette; Rev. F. S. Kunkler, from
May 1879 till January 1880, later a member of the Congregation
of the Most Precious Blood; Rev. Adam Buchheit, from June
2, 1890 till July 19, 1895, attending also to Andrews as a station,
for three years; Rev. Bruno Soengen, during six months; Rev.
Francis P. Faust, from December 1895 to October 1897; Rev.
Ignatius F. Zircher, from June 1902 till April 1905; Rev.
Joseph Jagemann succeeded Father Zircher, and from October
1905, Rev. Robert Meyer, C. PP. S. served until the arrival
of Rev. William B. Hordeman who remained until the ap-
pointment of Father Hueser's successor.

Rev. W. C. Miller was appointed pastor at SS. Peter and
Paul's Church, on October 6, 1906, and holds this position at
the present time.

The parish has 205 families, numbering 1102 souls. Five
School Sisters of Notre Dame conduct the school, teaching the
eight grades. The number of pupils is 177. The debt on the
church property amounts to |1,789.

DECATUR.

ST. Mary's church,

1846.

The town of Decatur was laid out in 1836, and had in it,
at the time, five houses. In 1838, about a dozen CathoHc
families had settled in and about Decatur, and, in the spring
of that year. Rev. Louis Mueller, residing at Fort Wayne,

The Churches, Continued. 223

offered the first Mass on record at Decatur, in the house of
George Fittich. The second priest, whose name appears on
the records, is Rev. Joseph de Mutzig Hamion assisting at a
marriage, on January 10, 1841. After him came Rev. Joseph
Rudolph, who began to collect money for a church, and the
heavy timbers were being hauled. The fourth visiting pastor
was Rev. Alphonse Munschina, and the fifth Rev. E. M. Faller.
The old cemetery in the south part of town was bought in 1842.
The first church was built in 1846. Up to this time Mass had
been said in Fittich's house, in the Gloss Tavern and in the
old Gourt House. About this time also. Rev. Julian Benoit
came here to say Mass, to preach in English and French, and
to attend the sick. The first church bell was bought by Father
Faller at Gincinnati for $60, and it had to be shipped by canal
to Fort Wayne, and to be hauled from there to Decatur. At
this time the church grounds consisted of six lots.

The sixth visiting priest, who was also the first resident
pastor at Decatur, was the Rev. B. H. Schultes, who built the
first priest's house in 1852 ; he remained till August 1856. From
August 1856 till June 1857, Father Faller and Father Rudolph
again paid visits to Decatur. Rev. Sebastian Ganther, C. PP.
S. was here from June 1857 till May 1858. After him, in 1858,
came Rev. L. Schneider, who remained only a few months.
Rev. Jacob Mayer was pastor from July 1858 to September
1862. During his pastorate a mission was held, in 1857, by
Rev. Andrew Kunkler, G. PP. S. and the second, in 1859, by
Rev. F. X. Weninger, S. J.

Until 1865, the Rev. A. Heitmann visited Decatur from
time to time. Rev. Julius Becks came in January 1865, and
remained one year. The pastorate of Rev. John Wemhoff
extends from 1866 to September 1872. He collected funds
for the present church, and laid the foundation. From Sep-
tember 1872 until February 1877, Rev. Frederick Von Schwedler
was the pastor. It was he who built the brick church. He
was succeeded by Rev. Joseph Nussbaum, in February 1877,
and remained until July 20, 1880, on which date the present
pastor. Rev. Herman Theodore Wilken, took charge of St.
Mary's Ghurch at Decatur. In the year of his arrival Father
Wilken began at once the erection of a new school-house, and
finished the same in 1881,

224 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

In 1895, he built a new Sisters' house and added two
school-rooms to the school-house. These latter buildings cost
|7,500, and were paid out of the bequest of Henry Dirkes.
The Sisters of St. Agnes have had charge of the parish school
in Decatur since 1881. On July 22, 1906, the Sister Superioress
celebrated the Silver Jubilee of her arrival and her labors, in
St. Mary's school and parish.

The parish has 240 families, numbering 1,200 souls. The
church property consists of ample grounds, a fine brick church,
a priest's residence with every modern improvements, and a
commodious brick school-house, with six large school-rooms
and a brick Sisters' residence with twelve rooms.

Rev. John Blum was assistant priest from November
1896 to November 1, 1900. Rev. Lawrence A. Eberle was
assistant priest, with Portland for a mission, from July 1904
to July 3, 1905. Rev. John B. Steger, from August 24, 1905
to September 15, 1906. Rev. George Angermaier, since Sep-
tember 16, 1906.

St. Mary's Parish has: The St. Joseph's School Society,
for married men, with seventy-four members; St. Mary's Altar
Society, for married women, 156 members; St. Aloysius' Society,
for single men, sixty-seven members; St. Agnes' Society, for
single women, seventy members; the Children of Mary, 150
members; Confraternity of the Sacred Heart, 242 members;
the Holy Family, 151 members; Confraternity of Mount Carmel,
930 members; and the Knights of Columbus, with 130 members.

The debt on the church property at the present time is
|585. The pastor intends, during the current year, to make
additions to the school and Sisters' residence, the cost of which
is estimated at $7,000. At the present time the school is
taught by six Sisters of St. Agnes with an attendance of 260
children.

ST. JOHN, LAKE COUNTY.

ST. JOHN evangelist's CHURCH.

1847.

The priests who have had charge of St. John's Church at
St. John from 1839 till the present time are as follows: Rev.
Francis Fischer from 1839 till the end of 1843; Rev. Anthony

The Churches, Continued. 225

Carius from 1843 till July 1849; Rev. Francis Cointet, C. S. C,
from April 1850 till January 1, 18*51 ; Rev. B. J. Force, C. S. C,
from 1851 till the beginning of 1857; Rev. M. P. Rooney,
C. S. C, and Rev. E. B. Kilroy, C. S. C, from beginning of 1857
till June 1857; Rev. Andrew Tusch, from June 1857 to March
1858; Rev. Jacob Mayer, from March 1858 till September 1,
1858; Rev. B. Rachor, from September 1, 1858 till October
1866; Rev. Christian Schilling, C. S. C, Rev. M. Sherer, Rev.
M. P. Wehrle, and Rev. Henry Koenig, from October 1866 till
November 1870; Rev. B. Rachor, from November 1868 till
October 1870; Rev. Anthony Heitmann, from October 1870
till July 1, 1906; Rev, Charles F. Keyser, from July 1, till
November 21, 1906; Rev. A. M. Buchheit, since November 21,
1906.

Across Lake county, situated in the northwest corner of
the State of Indiana, the watershed, extending from east to
west, separates the St. Lawrence basin from the Mississippi
valley. This line enters the county from the west, in St. John
township, passing north of the headwaters of West creek,
which runs very close to St. John and here takes a southwesterly
course. In the early days the locality was called Western
Prairie, and also Prairie West, but when a postoffice was estab-
Hshed the settlers, at a public meeting, gave it the name St.
John. This was done partly because the name of the first
German settler was John Hack, who immigrated, in September
1837, with a large family. John Hack's house was located
about one mile southeast of the present church. St. John
township, not only almost exclusively Catholic but also German,
has in it three churches: One at St. John, the other at Dyer,
and the third at Schererville. St. John the Evangelist's Church,
in St. John, is the mother church of all the other churches in
Lake county. Until 1856 it was known as "HI. Kreuz Auffmd-
ung Kirche," as we find it recorded in the old baptismal record,
over the signature of F. Cointet, C. S. C, under date of January
4, 1847. On the same page of that record we find that the
Rev. A. Carius blessed the cemetery, comprising about one
and a quarter acres.

Until 1839 Father Fischer, from Chicago, visited St. John,
as a station, twice a month celebrating Mass in John Hack's
house. The same Father also visited Baileytown, an Indian

226 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

settlement. In that same year, the congregation, numbering
about ten families, built a little frame church, 18x24 feet, on
John Hack's land, about a half mile southeast of the present
church. Bishop de St. Palais furnished all the money for
material and labor on this church. The lumber and other
building material was transported from Chicago with ox teams,
each trip requiring about one week's time. In 1842, in conse-
quence of some trouble, a schism divided the parish, some
members siding with John Hack, but the majority with the
priest. The Hack faction retained the church, but Father
Carius held divine service for the loyal party, in the house of
John Thiel. In 1844 or 1845, the eighteen loyal famihes built
a log church, the logs, the lumber and the labor for which
were donated and |269.14 expended in cash. Bishop de St.
Palais administered Confirmation in this church in 1846, the
first confirmation in Lake county.

It was under the pastorate of Father Force, that the
present brick church was erected. It measured 90x52 feet,
with a height of 25 feet; it cost from |7,000 to |8,000. With
the exception of putting new shingles on roof, no improve-
ments whatever have been made since. At the time of the
building of the church, the congregation numbered about 120
families. The dedication took place, on October 20, 1856, as
we see it recorded in the church books over the signature of
E. Sorin, who signs himself V. G. The record says that Father
Force was the pastor, that Rev. F. Mayer, C. S. C, celebrated
the Mass, that the same preached in German and that Father
Sorin preached in English, on the occasion.

The first parochial school was opened in St. John, in 1846,
by the Brothers and Sisters of the Holy Cross, from Notre
Dame. Father Tusch, on August 2, 1857, makes this record
on the books in regard to the school: "109 Kinder in der
Schule, and der Schwester Conceptschen bezahlt $15.00."
With the beginning of the Civil War the parochial school was
closed, and was continued thereafter as a public or district
school. Having rented the public school building for $150 per
year, the congregation again has a parochial school, since
September 4, 1903. Two Sisters of St. Francis, from Lafayette,
teach the school, which has an attendance of seventy-nine
children.

The Churches, Continued. 227

The church property consists_of three pieces of land, in
all ten acres; four acres, where the present church stands, on
which also is situated the old priest's house a two-story building
erected in 1859, in which Father Heitmann continues to live,
and also the cemetery; across the road, opposite the church,
two acres on which stands now the first little church, remodeled
for a Sisters' residence; the third piece of land, four acres, is
located, about a half mile southeast of the present church, on
which stood the first church and where also was the first little
cemetery. The present pastor is living in a rented house, at
a distance of about one block from the church. St. John's
parish has a Rosary Society, for married women, with twenty
members; a Sodality for single women, sixty-five members; a
Sodality for single men, thirty members; the Central Verein,
eighty-one members; Catholic Foresters, sixty-two members,
and the Columbian League, with thirty-six members.

The congregation consists of eighty-nine families, number-
ing 406 souls. Father Buchheit is about to make repairs and
improvements, which have become necessary, on the church,
to cost about |500. He also had an architect to prepare the
plans and specifications for a new pastoral residence; which
will contain about twelve rooms, is to be constructed a frame
building, will cost about $4,500.

FORT WAYNE.

ST. mary's church.
1848.

In 1848, thirty German families, who were members of St.
Augustine's Church, bought some lots on the corner of Lafay-
ette and Jefferson streets for |1,700. This was the inaugura-
tion of St. Mary's Church, for the German Catholics. An
evidence of the fact that these people were in earnest, is seen
when five men mortgaged their farms to pay for the lots. The
first building erected measured 32x64 feet, and was completed
on the 29th of November, 1848. This building afterwards
served as a girls' school. The Rev. Edward M. Faller was the
pastor of the new parish. At the same time a small one story

228 The Diocese of Fort IVayne.

frame house was built to serve as a pastoral residence. A
frame school house, that served the Germans, when still mem-
bers of St. Augustine's parish, was moved in 1849 from Calhoun
street to the rear of the pastoral residence.

Bishop de St. Palais, of Vincennes, visited the new parish
in 1850 to administer Confirmation and gave the church |500.
The first edifice served for church purposes until 1858, when
the erection of a more commodious building was begun. In
1857, the Rev. Joseph Weutz was made the successor of Father
Faller, who had been transferred to New Albany. The corner-
stone for the new St. Mary's Church was laid by Bishop Luers,
in the summer of 1858, and on the second of November, 1859,
the church, 133x66 feet, was dedicated by him. The erection
of the church entailed an expense of |30,000. During the
absence of Father Weutz in Europe, in 1871, Rev. F. Von
Schwedler had charge and completed the spire. Father Weutz's
assistant priests were, in turn. Revs. A. Heitmann, A. Young
and B. T. Borg.

Rev. J. Weutz resigned the pastorate of St. Mary's in
1872, and Bishop Dwenger appointed the Rev. Joseph Rade-
macher, with Rev. Charles Steurer as his assistant. Seven
years later. Father Rademacher was transferred to Lafayette.
Rev. J. H. Oechtering was appointed pastor of St. Mary's
on July 14, 1880. He had for assistants, successively, the
Revs. C. Steurer, C. Ganzer, L. A. Moench, C. M. Romer, R.
Denk and G. Hottenroth.

Half past one o'clock in the afternoon of January 13, 1886,
will ever remain memorable in the history of St. Mary's. At
that hour the boiler, beneath the church, from some cause
not known, exploded. The church now presented a disastrous
scene of wreck and ruin. The shock of that explosion was
felt over the city. The fireman was killed and a little girl,
passing the church at the time, was struck and instantly killed
by a door blown from its hinges. But the energetic pastor
and his generous people were not discouraged. An architect
of Cleveland, at once received orders to draw the plans of a
new and better building. On the 11th of July, 1886, the corner-
stone of the new church was laid by Bishop Dwenger. The
present St. Mary's Church, including decorations and furniture,
cost |100,000. It was dedicated on the third Sunday of Advent,

The Churches, Continued. 229

1887, by Bishop Dwenger, amidst the rejoicings of a vast
concourse of people. Bishop Rademacher, of Nashville, and
Very Rev. Abbelen, of Milwaukee, took part in the solemnities.
The seating capacity of the church, exclusive of galleries, is
950. Its style of architecture is Gothic, the length being 195
feet, the width 68 feet, and the height of the middle nave at
the intersection of the arches is 66 feet. The transept has a
length of 84 feet and a width of 34 feet. Each nave ends in a
sanctuary of octagonal form. The front of the building is
flanked on each side by towers about 120 feet in height. The
main steeple in the middle, including the cross has a height of
237 feet. The Crucifixion Group ever the main altar is a work
of art. St. Mary's Academy, a handsome building, took the
place of the old school house in the year 1892, at a cost of
$20,000.

In the year 1903 a large building was erected for a boys'
school, on the two lots opposite the church. On the ground
floor are six school rooms. The second story contains a mag-
nificent hall, dining-room, etc. In the basement are meeting
and recreation rooms for the young men, a gymnasium, bowling
alleys, billiards, library and reading rooms and baths. The
cost was |30,000. In the same year a steam heating plant
was provided.

The priest's house, a frame structure, was bought with
the lot on which it stands, in 1886, for |5,000. An addition
cost |1,800. The first house was a little frame building erected
in 1846; the second, was of brick costing $5,000, but it was
destroyed by the explosion in 1886.

A house for the organist, a two-story brick building,
situated west of the boys' school, cost about |3,000. A boiler
house south of the church built of stone and brick, 30x20 feet,
cost about $1,200.

Ten boys of the parish have become priests and forty-five
girls have become Sisters.

Priests who served St. Mary's Congregation : Rev. Edward
M. Faller was pastor from 1848 till 1849; Rev. Joseph Weutz,
from 1857 till 1872; Rev. Joseph Rademacher, from 1872 till
1880; Rt. Rev. Mgr. John H. Oechtering, V. G., has been
pastor since 1880.

St. Mary's Church has the following societies: St. Charles

230 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Borromeo Mutual Benefit Society, with 166 members, was
organized in 1859, for men; Catholic Knights of America, with
forty-one members, and Benevolent Legion, with eighty-seven
members, are insurance societies; St. Aloysius' Society for
young men, with 189 members, has existed since 1868; St.
Stanislaus' Society, for boys up to their sixteenth year, with
sixty-three members; St. Rose's Young Ladies' Society, estab-
lished in 1 868, is an altar society with 1 79 members ; the Children
of Mary, for girls up to their sixteenth year with seventy-five
members; the Holy Rosary Society for married women, with
367 members, was organized in 1858; the Altar Society, for
married women, was established in 1865; the Society of the
Holy Childhood, for the school children; the Society for the
Propagation of the Faith. Two school societies, the one for
men, the other for women, organized for the support of the
schools.

The parish has 488 families, and the total number of souls
is 2,196. The two school buildings, with ten school rooms, in
charge of twelve School Sisters of Notre Dame, are attended by
535 pupils. The debt on the church property is |9,010.

MISHAWAKA.

ST. Joseph's church,

1848.

The history of this parish dates back to the year 1833,
when the celebrated Father Badin visited these parts. How-
ever, in 1844, Very Rev. Edward Sorin, C. S. C, established
a regular order of services for Mishawaka, and for a few years
Mass was celebrated in the homes of Edward Mulligan, George
Smith and Jeremiah Luce. From 1848 until 1855, a room in
the residence on the southeast corner of Lawrence and Margaret
streets was arranged for divine service, and to it the name was
given, "Holy Angels Church." In the latter year, 1855, a
small frame building, for church purposes, was erected on the
north-west corner of Grove and Sarah streets, but this building
was destroyed by fire in 1860. The priests who attended
Mishawaka, prior to 1857, were all members of the Congrega-
tion of the Holy Cross. Their names were: Very Rev.
Edward Sorin, Revs. F. Cointet, J. Gouesse, R. A. Shortis,

The Churches, Continued. 231

W. Masterson, C. Schilling, A. Fourmount, M. P. Rooney,
B. J. Force, Alexius Granger, E. B. Kilroy, Thomas Flynn and
M. Prendergast.

The Rev. B. Mager was the first resident pastor at Mish-
awaka, from 1857 for a period of eighteen months. In 1859,
Rev. Henry Koenig was appointed, who began at once to
collect funds for a new church. The Civil War brought on
hard times, and Father Koenig made collecting trips into Ohio,
not without success. At this time, Mishawaka had about
thirty-four Catholic families. The new church was a brick
building with stone trimmings, with a seating capacity of
about 300, and was erected by Father Koenig, on the corner
of Third and Spring streets, where the school-house now stands,
at a cost of about |8,000. Bishop Luers laid the corner stone
in June, and dedicated the church on December 8, 1861. The
name of the church was now changed from Holy Angels'
Church to St. Joseph's Church. This church served the con-
gregation, as a place of worship, until October 22, 1893. In
the old church 1826 baptisms were administered, 284 couples
were married, and from it 580 were buried.

The Rev. August Bernard Oechtering took charge of St.
Joseph's Church, Mishawaka, on May 17, 1867. He found it
indebted for |3,000, and the furnishings of the church poor.
He paid off most of this debt. during two years, and 1869 pur-
chased the property on the corner of Fourth and Mill streets,
for |3,200.

As far back as 1854, a French lady taught the few Catholic
children in a building, at the southeast corner of Main and
First streets. Later, the Sisters of the Holy Cross located in
Mishawaka, and would have established St. Mary's Academy
in what is now Battell Park, but fanaticism and bigotry of a
violent type drove them away. After this, until 1864, school
was taught, by different gentlemen, in the vestry room of St.
Joseph's Church. In that year, a brick school building was
erected, on Spring street, in the rear of the church. A frame
school -house was built on Fourth street, in 1870, and in 1876
an addition was made to the brick school-house, and still later
another school was built on Mill street.

Prior to 1885, additional improvements were made in the
frescoing of the church, in the purchase of a pulpit and of three

232 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

large bells. Ground for the Catholic Cemetery had been
bought in 1865, and here too, many improvements were made.
A residence for the Sisters, known as St. Agnes Convent, as
well as the pastor's residence, the latter on the corner of Fourth
and Spring streets, were provided. Up to this time the pastor
resided in the frame dwelling, now occupied by the janitor.

The Silver Jubilee of Father Oechtering, in 1886, was
celebrated with particular solemnity. Bishop Dwenger of
Fort Wayne, Bishop Rademacher of Nashville, many priests
and distinguished laymen took part. Many other memories
cling to the old St. Joseph's Church. From this church went
forth seven young men as priests, two young men for the
religious state of life, four ecclesiastical students and seventeen
young ladies, as Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. The present
Chancellor of the diocese of Fort Wayne, the Rev. Simon M.
Yenn, was one of the boys of old St. Joseph's.

The first steps, toward the erection of the new church,
were taken in November 1885, when a building fund was
started, and in five years |22,000 had accumulated. The new
church was to be Gothic in style, of white brick with lime-
stone trimmings; and the dimensions were to be 151x60i feet;
height of ceiling 50 feet and elevation of the spire 163 feet.
On April 20, 1891, Father Oechtering "turned the first shovel
full of earth, and the building committee following in the
order of the seniority," and on August 30th, in the presence
of 10,000 people, the corner stone was laid. Bishop Rademacher,
of Nashville, officiating, and Rev. Thomas E. Walsh, President
of Notre Dame University, preaching the English and Rev.
D. Wermers of Detroit, the German sermon. The new church
was dedicated, with becoming solemnity, on October 22, 1893,
by Bishop Rademacher, now Bishop of Fort Wayne. Very
Rev. A. Morrissey, of Notre Dame, and Rev. J. H. Oechtering
of Fort Wayne, preached the English and the German sermons.
The cost of the church and furnishings amounted to |65.000.
It may be remarked, that the artistic communion railing, the
pulpit and the altars were built by Mr. Erb and his sons, and
that the pipe organ was built by Mr. Louis H. Vandinter;
these gentlemen being members of the congregation.

The school accommodations proved to be entirely unsat-
isfactory by this time. A new school building was determined

The Churches, Continued. 233

on, which was to be a two-story. and basement building of
brick and stone, with self Supporting steel truss, slate roof.
The dimensions were to be 136x70 feet with a transept of 80
feet. It was to have eight class-rooms, a chapel to seat 300
people, and a hall accommodating 700. The basement to be
a gymnasium and recreation room. The cost of this building
was estimated at |40,000. Rev. John H. Guendling officiated
at the laying of the corner stone, and Rev. John Cavanaugh,
C. S. C, delivered the sermon on education, June 22, 1902.
On Sunday, May 3, 1903, the building was dedicated by Bishop
Alerding, who in the forenoon also administered confirmation
to a class of 75.

The energetic, untiring pastor, Father Oechtering, departed
this life on December 28, 1902, and was succeeded by Rev.
Louis Aloysius Moench, on February 1, 1903, as Vicar pro tem.
and on June 29, of the same year, was named irremovable
rector. He found a debt of $37,000 on the church property,
and he found also that the |40,000 school building, though
under roof, was not completed and not furnished. The church
grounds had to be graded, and cement sidewalks had to be
constructed around the entire square. After four years of his
pastorate, we find that he has made all the improvements
necessary and that the indebtedness of the church property
has been reduced to |1 7,450. There are 378 families and the
number of souls is 1700.

Seven Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ teach the school
attended by 350 pupils. The Sisters reside in the St. Agnes'
Convent, on Fourth street, opposite the church square. This
property was a donation by Mrs. PhilUps.

St. Joseph's Church has the Holy Rosary Society for
married women, with 220 members; the Young Ladies' Sodal-
ity, with 125 members; the Sacred Heart Sodality, for girls
under 16, with 54 members; St. Leo's Society for Boys, with
50 members; St. Aloysius' Society, for Young Men, with 35
members; St. Joseph's Society, for Men, with 175 members;
the Catholic Knights of America, with 45 members; the
Catholic Order of Foresters, with 60 members; the Women's
CathoHc Order of Foresters, with 35 members, and the Catholic
Order of Foresters, with 35 members, and the Catholic Benevo-
lent Legion.

234 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Mr. William P. O'Neil, "the historian of St. Joseph's
Congregation," has our thanks for the information given.

The assistant priests at St. Joseph's have been, in the
order given: Rev. Peter Schmitt, Rev. Michael P. Louen,
Rev. John C. Keller, Rev. Charles Stuer, Rev. Lawrence A.
Eberle, Rev. Joseph Jagemann, Rev. L. Jungblut, and Rev. E.
Werling, since June 8, 1907.

MICHIGAN CITY.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH.

1849.

In all probability, the ancient and mysterious establish-
ment known as A-ber-Cronk at the mouth of Trail Creek was
a trading post for exchange for the Indians. It is here where
Michigan City is located, and was early known as Baileytown,
so called after Joseph Bailey, a trader and agent for the Amer-
ican Fur Company, about the year 1832. The directory for
1844 mentions Rev. M. de St. Palais in connection with Mich-
igan City. The church records of St. Mary's Church name the
following early missionaries: Rev. R. A. Shortis, C. S. C,
1847-1852;Rev.C.Schilling,C.S.C., 1852-1853; Rev. A. Granger,
C. S. C; Rev. F. Cointet, C. S. C; Rev. M. P. Rooney, C. S. C;
Rev. R. Wallace, C. S. C,; Rev. B. J. Force, C. S. C, from
January 1853 to October 1854; and Father SchilUng again,
from October 1854 to March 1855. Rev. Thomas Flynn,
C. S. C, paid visits from March 1855 to December 7, 1856;
Rev. E. B. Kilroy and Rev. B. Mager to October 25, 1857;
on this date the Rev. Paul Gillen, C. S. C, was appointed the
first resident pastor of Michigan City.

The first church was remodeled from a small warehouse
to the size of about 20x30 feet, in 1849; it was situated on the
corner of Washington and Second streets. This structure was
replaced by a new frame church in 1854, and it is supposed
was erected while Father Gillen was paying occasional pastoral
visits here; the church was called St. Ambrose's Church. The
Catholics of these early days were Irish, employed on the
construction of the Michigan Central railroad. Gradually,
however, German Catholics also settled in and about Michigan
City. Rev. Martin Sherer, who resided at Laporte from 1854
to 1858, frequently visited Michigan City, and at his invitation

The Churches, Continued. 235

the Rev. F. X. Weninger, S. J., gave a mission for the Ger-
mans. He induced the Germans to build a church of their
own, in 1859, on the corner of Washington and Fourth streets.

In 1856 a parochial school was established alongside of
St. Ambrose's Church, and a small frame dwelling for the
Sisters of the Holy Cross. The priest's house, a small dwelling
of three or four rooms, stood east of the church. The Catholic
population being too small to maintain two separate parishes,
the Rev. E. B. Kilroy was made pastor of both, while Father
Sherer attended the Germans, from Laporte. Both Father
Kilroy and Father Sherer were succeeded by Rev. George
Steiner, as pastor of both churches from October 25, 1860 till
September 21, 1864. Exclusive of labor and material donated,
the cost of St. Ambrose's Church, school, Sisters' house and
pastoral residence, did not exceed $1,500. The other, St.
Mary's Church, costing |1, 52 1.34 had a debt of |940.04, when
Father Steiner took charge. The so-called trustees created
many difficulties for the pastor, in their anxiety to manage
the finances of the parish. However there was not much to
manage, when we see from the church books that the total
receipts for the year 1861, amounted to $264.62; for 1862,
$325.78; and for three months of 1863, $46.20. On August 1,
1863, Bishop Luers attended a meeting of the parish, at which
certain rules for the government of both parishes were adopted.*

Rev. Julius Becks succeeded Father Steiner, and was
pastor of both St. Ambrose and St. Mary's Churches, cele-
brating Mass in both churches, on every Sunday. This order
of things continued until November 1, 1867, when both con-
gregations were united, and began the construction of the
present church, on Tenth and Buffalo streets. The number of
souls, at this time, was from 120 to 150 families. The present
St. Mary's Church, the school, the Sisters' Convent and the
parochial residence stand on the ground purchased in 1852,
for a cemetery. In this cemetery were buried the Catholics
of Monon, Rensselaer, Lacrosse, Valparaiso, and Chesterton.
Encroaching on the city limits this cemetery was condemned,
and Father Becks purchased ten acres of ground to the south

*One of the rules adopted was: " Dass die Gemeinde ihren Seelsorger die Befoerderung ihrer
geistlichen sowohl als auch materiellen Vortheile gaenzlich ueber lasse und in ihm den Vorstand.
Secretaer, Schatzraeister, kurz den Gemeinde-oder-Kirchen-Vor-Neben-Hinter-und-Beisteher erkenne.
The minutes of the meeting were signed, Rev. G. Steiner.

236 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

of the present city cemetery. The remains of all the buried
were removed to the new cemetery, which was consecrated by
Bishop Luers, in 1865. Of the four acres of the old cemetery
one full block and a three-quarter block were retained for
church purposes.

St. Mary's Church was built in 1868, and dedicated by
Bishop Luers in 1869. The cost of the church and of the
frame priest's house was |23,450. The church is Gothic,
having simple but neat decorations; the debt in 1885 was
|5,965. Father Becks built the present church and the old
priest's house.

The present pastor, Rev. John Bleckmann, was appointed
to succeed Father Becks, on February 18, 1885. He has made
many purchases and improvements, such as a new pipe organ
for |1,500, new side altars for |800, frescoing of the church
for |1,460, new pews for $1,365, gas and electric lighting with
fixtures for |1,935, steam heating plant for |1,532, chime of
church bells for $1,230. The seating capacity of the church
is 600.

Father Bleckmann erected the school buildings in 1886;
the dimensions are 90x70 feet, with the Sisters' residence of
fifteen rooms to the rear of the school building, at a cost of
|23,372. The sum of $2,675 has been spent since, on the
school, for various improvements. The Sisters of the Holy
Cross taught the school up to 1897, when the Sisters of Notre
Dame took charge. The eight grades and three years of high
school are being taught by ten Sisters, with an attendance of
366 pupils. In 1905, Father Bleckmann erected a new pas-
toral residence with all modern conveniences, at a cost of about
$17,000, to replace the old frame building, which had become
entirely unfit for use. Other improvements, such as grading
of the grounds and cement walks around church, school, and
priest's house, were made in the same year. The debt on the
church property is $26,341. The pastor's calculations are,
that this debt will be wiped out in five years.

St. Mary's Church has the following societies: St. Joseph's
Aid Society, since 1862; St. Joseph's Altar Society, since 1876;
Foresters, German and English Courts, since 1887; St. Aloy-
sius' Sodality, for Boys; The Rosary Society for Married
Women, since 1856; Ancient Order of Hibernians, since IJ

The Churches, Continued. 237

Knights of Columbus, since 1904; the Sodality of the Immacu-
late Conception, with one hundred and twenty members, since
1876; the Children of Mary, with sixty-five members, and the
Purgatorian Society, with eighty members. The Altar Society
furnished new altars, pulpit and statuary. The Young Ladies'
Sodality and the Rosary Society have done much towards
furnishing both the church and the pastoral residence. St.
Mary's Parish has 454 families, numbering 2531 souls. The
parish has given the Church six priests, and, various religious
communities, sixteen sisters.

Father Becks' assistants were Rev. A. Ellering and Rev.
C. Romer. Father Bleckmann had the following assistants:
Rev. J. H. Werdein, from July 1888 to July 1890; Rev. E. J.
Wrobel, from July 1890 to January 15, 1891; Rev. Gregory
Zern, from June 21, 1895 until September 24, 1896; Rev.
George Schramm, for a short time; Rev. Herman Juraschek,
from September 24, 1896 until July 1897; Rev. George Horst-
mann, till August 1900; Rev. Thomas Jansen, till February
1903; Rev. WiHiam C. Miller, till August 28, 1906; Rev. John
Oberholz, till June 8, 1907, when Rev. John Bleckmann suc-
ceeded him.

On the fourth Sunday of each month, the pastor of St.
Mary's celebrates Mass for the Catholic inmates of the State
Prison, at Michigan City.

NIX SETTLEMENT.

ST. Catharine's church.
1850.

The first immigrants in this part of the country were the
Nix family, in 1847. Mass was celebrated, as early as 1848,
in the house of Jacob Nix until, in 1850, a small frame church
was erected, about three quarters of a mile southwest of the
present church. The priests, who officiated in the house of
Mr. Nix and in the first church, were Rev. E. M. Faller, Rev. A.
Schippert, Rev. Frederick Fuchs, Rev. Jacob Mayer and Rev.
Henry V. Schaefer, who came either from Fort Wayne, or
Huntington. The church burned down, in 1868, and then
divine services were held in the school house, near the site of
the old church. Two acres of land were donated for church

238 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

and cemetery, by George Bemer. Rev. Theodore Vander-
Poel, residing at Areola, had charge of Nix Settlement and
Roanoke, at that time. On July 19, 1869, the corner stone
of the new brick church, 56x34 feet, was laid by Father Schaefer ;
Rev. George Steiner preached the sermon. Rev. William
Woeste, and after him Rev. Cosmas Seeberger, C. PP. S., were
resident pastors, at Roanoke, in rented houses, visiting Nix
Settlement, the former twice a month, the latter every Sunday.
Rev. W. Conrad Miller was the first resident pastor, at Nix
Settlement, from October 1881 till 1883. In 1882, he erected
the present priest's house, at the side of St. Catharine's Church.
Prior to 1882, Father Miller resided at Roanoke, after that
time at Nix Settlement. His successors were: Rev. F. J.
Lambert, 1883 till 1884; Rev. PhiUp Guethoff, from 1884 to
1889; Rev. Edward J. Boccard, from 1889 till 1895; Rev.
Bruno Soengen, from December 1895 till June 23, 1905; Rev.
John Biedermann, since June 30, 1905.

The first brick church was defective in its construction,
and was condemned, upon expert examination, by Bishop
Rademacher. The building was accordingly torn down, and
in its stead and on the same site, a larger and better church
was erected. The dimensions of this new and present church
are 36x84 feet; it is built of brick and has Bedford stone trim-
mings, the style of architecture is Gothic. The interior is
finished in quarter-sawed, red oak, and is furnished with three
Gothic altars, white and richly gilt, confessionals of oak, the
pews of the same material, all oil finished. The seating capacity
is 300. The windows are stained glass, and the frescoing is
artistic. Bishop Rademacher being sick at the time, the
corner stone was laid by the Vicar General, Very Rev. J. H,
Guendling, on Trinity Sunday, 1899, and was dedicated on
October 8, of the same year, in the presence of fully 3,000
people, by Rev. J. H. Oechtering, of Fort Wayne. The church
was built during the pastorate of Father Soengen, and the cost
of it was 110,000 with a debt of $1,700.

Fathers Guethoff and Boccard contributed their share,
during their pastorates, towards the improvement of the church
property. The present pastor. Father Biedermann, installed
in November 1905, a most satisfactory method for heating the
church. The population of the parish at the present time is

Tie Churches, Continued. 239

thirty-four families, and a total of 166 souls. Other improve-
ments, made by Father Biedermann, of a porch to the pastoral
residence and of cement walks for the house and church were
found necessary.

St. Catharine's Church has St. Joseph's SodaHty for married
men, and St. Ann's Sodality, for married women, both since
1883; St. Mary's Sodality for single women, and St. Aloysius'
Sodality, for single men. One child of the parish was ordained
priest, in 1902. The total membership of the societies is eighty-
three.

BESANCON.

ST. LOUIS' CHURCH.
1851.

French immigrants made up the settlement in Jackson
township of Allen county, now called Besancon, about 1840.
At that time it was known as New France. The thrifty
settlers made, of the swamp land, the best farm land in Allen
county.

It was Rev. A. Bessonies, who first attended to their
spiritual wants. He said Mass in the log house of Joseph
Dodone. When, on January 14, 1851, Gideon Dickerson
donated four acres of land to Bishop de St. Palais, a neat
church was at once erected by Father Bessonies and placed
under the patronage of St. Louis. Father Bessonies' labors
here ceased, when the diocese of Fort Wayne was established,
at the close of 1857. After him, Rev. Julian Benoit attended
New France regularly, until 1864. He was held in great esteem
and reverence by the people of New France. His picture is
seen upon the walls of nearly every home; and, when the ceiling
of the present church was first decorated, the parishoners
insisted that the artist paint Father Benoit's portrait among
the figures of the angels, on the sanctuary ceiling. Rev. Grevin
was the first resident pastor. He built the first priest's house,
a modest cottage, costing only a few hundred dollars. The
four immediate successors of Father Grevin remained less than
two years. They were: Rev. J. C. Carrier, C. S. C. from
April to November 1866; Rev. F. M. Ruiz from November
1866 to April 1867; Rev. A. de Montaubricq from April to

240 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

December 1867 and Rev. Vandevennet from December 1867
to October 1868. Rev. A. Mignault then had charge of the
parish until January 1, 1870, when the Rev. A. Adam, whom
the well known Father Sorin of Notre Dame brought with him
from France, became the resident pastor of St. Louis' Church.

About this time. New France received its present name
Besancon, owing to the fact that a large portion of the first
settlers emigrated from the vicinity of the city of that name,
in France. Father Adam, perceiving that the little frame
church was becoming much too small for his growing congre-
gation (then numbering 600 souls), and realizing that the people
were now able to erect a more stately and substantial edifice,
began to collect funds towards building a new church. Father
Mignault had laid the foundation. When completed the church
cost |10,000. The parishoners furnished timber for the most
of the lumber, and the bricks were burnt a few rods from where
the church stands. Father Adam contrived a unique way of
raising funds for the new church. He asked the head of each
family to raise a calf until it would be three years old; and his
request was complied with. Each donated calf was marked
by the pastor, as soon as it came into the world. Then on a
given date a public sale was advertised, to which prospective
buyers came from far and wide. The sale of these cattle netted
over |3,000. In 1875 Father Adam received permission from
Bishop Dwenger to return to France.

The Rev. W. Demers, C. S. C, was appointed to succeed
Father Adam, in 1875. A year later Rev. Constantine Maujay
was made pastor, and served for two years. In 1880 Rev.
Felix Veniard, C. S. C. took charge and liquidated the indebted-
ness of |3,000 on the church. Of this amount Father Benoit
contributed |500. Father Veniard was longest the resident
pastor of St. Louis' Church, having served from 1880 till his
death in 1893. For the space of one year Besancon was
attended every Sunday from the Cathedral, at Fort Wayne,
by Rev. Charles Guendling and Rev. William J. Quinlan, of
whom the latter built the present priest's house. Father
Quinlan collected over $4,000 before the house was completed.

In June, 1894, Rev. F. X. Labonte was appointed to the
pastorate of Besancon, where he remained until February
1902, nearly eight years. During his pastorate he made exten-

The Churches, Continued. 241

sive improvements. Besides making repairs on the church
and instaUing a new heating apparatus, he purchased six addi-
tional acres of land, on which stood a house, on September 1,
1897, at a cost of |1,050. On this ground he built a school and
Sisters' residence, in 1898, at a cost of about |4,000. St
Joseph's School, this was its name, was opened in the fall of
1900, with the Sisters of St. Agnes in charge. From February
to June 1902, the Rev. F. J. Dandurand attended Besancon
from Monroeville.

The Rev. John F. Noll was transferred from Kendallville
to Besancon, in June 1902. There was |6,000 of debt on the
place when he took charge, which he reduced to |2,500, besides
paying for improvements costing $3,000. The Church was
beautifully frescoed in 1904, the school house renovated and
church property generally improved. Three new altars, which,
with their furnishings, cost $1,300, were placed in the church
and solemnly dedicated on May 30, 1906. On July 11, 1906,
Father Noll was transferred to Hartford City and the Rev.
Charles Dhe was appointed pastor of St. Louis' Church, at
Besancon, where he remains at the present time. St. Louis'
Congregation now has 108 families numbering 544 souls.

St. Louis' Church has the Confraternity of Christian
Mothers organized on March 19, 1906, with forty members,
and the Children of Mary Sodality, with twelve members.
Two boys of the parish are now preparing for the priesthood.
The school is attended by forty-eight pupils, taught by two
Sisters of St. Agnes. The debt on the church property, at
the present time, is $2,300.

HESSE CASSEL.

ST. Joseph's church.

1851.

In the archives of St. Joseph's Church is found an old
book, dated September 29, 1841, in which the Catholics of
that time pledged themselves to pay a certain amount for the
support of their priest. Rev. Joseph de Mutzig Hamion. Similar
lists are found in that book up to 1846. The first priest visiting
the Catholics here wasi hkely. Father Hamion. The first
settlers were immigrants from Hesse Cassel, diocese of Fulda.

242 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

The church grounds consist of four acres, secured at four
different times. These grounds also answer for cemetery pur-
poses. The first church, a log building, was erected in 1851
or 1852, and later on a frame addition was made. The present
church begun in 1860, was finished in 1861, by Rev. Jacob
Mayer. Its dimensions are 80x42 feet, and will seat 250
persons. It is a plain structure, without any pronounced style
of architecture, though the altars, placed in 1892, are Gothic.

The present school was built by Rev. J. H. Hueser, D.D.,
in 1879, a two-story brick building, 32x20 feet, with accom-
modations for 100 pupils. The cost of this building, including
a dwelling for the sisters, was about |3,690. Until 1870, the
school was in charge of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ;
since that time two Franciscan Sisters, of Joliet, Illinois, have
taught the school, attended by sixty-six pupils. The school
is a free school, all the expenses being paid by the St. Joseph's
School Society.

The priest's house is a brick building. It was begun at
an earlier day, but Rev. Joseph Nussbaum, the first resident
pastor at Hesse Cassel, completed it, in 1875. It was Father
Nussbaum also who began to keep the parish records, as they
should be kept. Four girls of Hesse Cassel have become
Sisters.

The following are the priests who have served the Cath-
olics, at Hesse Cassel. The list is prepared from the church
records: Rev. Joseph de Mutzig Hamion, as early as 1841;
Rev. Julian Benoit; Rev. Joseph Rudolph; Rev. Alphonse
Munschina, 1845; Rev. Edward M. Faller, from 1847 till 1851;
Rev. B. H. Schultes, from 1851 till 1856; Rev. Joseph Weutz,
1857. The names of Fathers Schultes, Benoit and Faller
appear in 1857. Rev. John Force, 1857; Rev. L. Schneider,
1858; Rev. Jacob Mayer, from 1858 till 1863; Rev. Martin
Kink, from 1863 to 1866; Rev. Wilham Woeste, from 1866 till
1872; Rev. John Wemhofi", 1868; Rev. Joseph Nussbaum, from
1873 till 1877: first resident pastor; Rev. William Geers, 1877;
Rev. J. H. Hueser, D.D., from 1877 till January 1880; Rev.
John Mark, from 1880 to 1897; Rev. Maximilian Benzinger,
since October 17, 1897.

St. Joseph's has seventy-three families, numbering 386
souls. St. Joseph's School Society, for married men; St.

The Churches, Continued. 243

Mary's Altar Society, for married women; St. Aloysius' Society,
for single men, and the St. Agnes' Society, for single women,
have a total membership of two hundred and twenty. The
Confraternities of the Holy Rosary, of the Holy Family, and
for the Poor Souls, aggregate one hundred and fifty members.
The church property is out of debt.

LOTTAVILLE.

SS. PETER AND PAUL's CHURCH.
1851.

The Catholic settlers at Lottaville, numbering about
thirteen families, had emigrated from Bavaria, from 1840 to
1842. It seems that Rev. Francis Fischer, who at the time
resided in Chicago, celebrated Mass for the first time in Lotta-
ville (Turkey Creek) in a log house, in the year 1841, and paid
bimonthly visits until 1846. Rev. A. Carius residing at St.
John, Lake county, paid Lottaville regular monthly visits up
to the year 1851, when a frame church was erected on the
grounds of the present cemetery. At this -time the number
of families had increased to forty. It appears from the records
that Revs. C. Schilling, C. S. C, Fuerst, James Joseph Mayer,
Dresch, Wolfgang N. Giedl, paid Lottaville occasional visits.

Rev. Philip Wegemeyer was the first resident pastor, and
was succeeded by Rev. M. P. Wehrle, who built the stone
church in 1863. Lottaville did not have a resident pastor
continuously. Rev. Matthew Jacob Schmitz, of Dyer, attended
it and built the present priest's house. The Rev. Henry
Meissner was pastor at Lottaville from July 1871 to 1873, and
was succeeded by Revs. F. J. Freund, in 1874, F. X. Baum-
gartner, from 1874 to December 1880, H. M. Roth, until the
spring of 1883, Maurice Kaeder, O. S. B., and /Lmilian Wend-
dell, O. S. B., in 1884. After these came the Rev. Joseph Flach
from 1885 till July 29, 1888, and after him Rev. Charles V.
Stetter, D.D., who erected the present Sisters' dwelling. For
two years, until November 1905, Lottaville was a mission
attended from Hobart by Rev. Thomas F. Jansen, during
which time the School Sisters of Notre Dame came to Lotta-
ville. On November 6, 1905, the Rev. Frederick Koenig was
appointed pastor of SS. Peter and Paul's Church at Lotta-

244 The Diocese of Fort IVayne.

ville, which position he holds at the present time. He at once
erected a suitable school-house, consisting of a basement, two
school-rooms and a hall. Three School Sisters of Notre Dame
have charge of the school, with an attendance of sixty-six
pupils. The congregation has a cemetery of four acres. Besides
this there are two acres, on which the church, the school-house,
the priest's house and Sisters' residence have been erected.

There is a debt of |3,500 on the church property. The
parish has forty-eight families, numbering 259 souls. The
Altar Society, for married women, has forty-two members;
the Sodality, for single women, fifty.-eight members; the same
for single men, twenty-four members; and the Catholic Order
of Foresters, thirty-one members.

PULASKI.

ST. Joseph's church.

1852.

This mission comprised Indian Creek township, of Pulaski
county, and had two distinct settlements, known as Pulaski
and Indian Creek. The first Catholic settlers were Germans,
arriving here about the year 1840. They came from northern
Ohio, at the time of the construction of the canal through
Logansport. The first baptism for the station Pulaski was
recorded by the Rev. F. A. Carius on September 10, 1846, and
the first baptism for Indian Creek by the Rev. E. M. Faller
on September 2, 1851. These stations were visited by Rev.
F. A. Carius 1846 till 1847, Rev. Patrick McDermott 1848 till
1850, Rev. E. M. Faller and Rev. Phihp O' Connell in 1851.

In the year 1852, the first church, called St. Ann's and
later St. Francis of Assissi, was erected. It was a frame build-
ing, 16x24 feet, and had in it one door and two windows. It
was situated one mile west of the present Pulaski. When in
1870 a larger frame church was built, this smaller one was
added to it, and used for a sacristy. The first church in the
Indian Creek settlement was erected in 1855, and was enlarged
in 1858. This location was abandoned in the year 1866, when
a new frame church was built about two miles south of Pulaski.
At the time these first churches were erected. Father Carius
had charge of these missions. He was succeeded by Rev.

The Churches, Coniinued. 245

William Doyle, in 1855. Bishop Luers, in 1858, sent Rev.
F. X. Nigh as the first resident pastor to Pulaski, with Indian
Creek, Winamac, Monterey, etc., as missions. Father Nigh
resided with a private family. His successor, in 1862, was
Rev. Martin Kink, who did not reside here. One baptism, by
Rev. B. Kroeger, is recorded in the fall of 1863. Rev. B. J.
Force was pastor from 1864 to 1866, during which time Rev.
Joseph A. Winter also attended these missions. The pastorate
of Rev. Henry Koenig extended from 1867 till the close of
1872. He bought one-quarter of an acre of ground, near the
Indian Creek Church, and on it built the first priest's house,
a small frame building. Rev. Bernard Wiedau was pastor
from the close of 1872 till the summer of 1873.

Bishop Dwenger, in the summer of 1873, gave the Fathers
of the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood charge of the
churches at Pulaski and Indian Creek. The first priest sent
was Rev. Augustine Reichert, C. PP. S., who resided at Wina-
mac, and from there attended these churches for about three
months. After him came the following Fathers: Rev. Beatus
Ziswyler, C. PP. S., from 1873 to 1874; Rev. Cosmas Seeberger,
C. PP. S., in 1875; Rev. Theobald Schoch, C. PP. S., in 1876;
Rev. John Frericks, C. PP. S., in 1877; Rev. Cosmas Seeberger,
C. PP. S., again from 1878 till 1880; Rev. John Frericks, C.
PP. S., again from 1881 till 1889; Rev. Frederick Baumgartner,
C. PP. S., in 1890; Rev. Raphael Schmaus, C. PP. S., from
1891 till 1893; Rev. J. WiUbald Sliemers, C. PP. S., from 1894
till 1896; Rev. Erhard Fritz, C. PP. S., from 1897 till June
1901; Rev. Martin L. Dentinger, C. PP. S., from 1901 till
October 1903; Rev. Julian Meyer, C. PP. S., six weeks, in 1903;
Rev. Anthony Dick, C. PP. S., from November 24, 1903 till
September 30, 1905; Rev. Frank X. Schalk, C. PP. S., since
October 1, 1905.

When, in the year 1894, Bishop Rademacher visited these
churches and saw how they were old and decaying and how
inconveniently they were located, being only a few miles apart,
he decided it would be best for both, if the two parishes were
united into one, by building a church in Pulaski. Father
Sliemers then bought two acres of land, on the east side of the
Tippecanoe river, just opposite Pulaski, and on this site the
present priest's house and a chapel were built, in 1895. The

246 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Sisters of the Precious Blood, prior to 1890, had conducted a
school at Indian Creek, but in that year abandoned the place
for a lack of funds and of attendance. Steps however have
been taken for the erection of a nev^^ school, in the near future.

The corner stone for the new church was laid, on July 2,
1899, and the dedication took place on May 20, 1900, Father
Fritz being the pastor. The building is of brick with stone
trimmings, measuring 45x90 feet, with a tower 100 feet high,
and has a seating capacity of 350. The cost of the church,
including furniture, was about $9,000. The church property
has a debt of |600.

St. Joseph's Church has the St. Rose's Young Ladies'
Sodality and the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin, for Married
Women. The number of souls in the parish is about 500,
constituting 106 families. One boy and one girl, belonging to
the same family, have entered religious communities.

AVILLA.

ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY CHURCH.
1853.

In the thirties, of the last century, Mr. Comparet estab-
lished a trading' post between Kendall ville and Rome City,
where the settlers and the Indians were accustomed to meet.
It was here, that Father Badin paid occasional visits to the
few Catholics, not numbering more than eight families. Father
Lalumiere's name is still mentioned reverently as another of
the pioneer missionaries. Rev. Alphonse Munschina visited
the place, at a later date, attending to the spiritual wants of
the Catholics in and about Avilla. After him came, at inter-
vals, the Rev. Louis Mueller, resident at Fort Wayne, from
1836 until 1840. Father Benoit paid frequent visits to Avilla.
The visits had to be made on horseback.

Mass was celebrated at Avilla, either in the log house of
John Geiser or of Frank Borck. Rev. Joseph Rudolph also
visited Avilla from Fort Wayne. The eight Catholic families,
at that time living in or near Avilla, were organized into a
congregation by Rev. Edward M. Faller, pastor at Fort Wayne,
in 1853, and placed under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin

The Churches, Continued. 247

Mary. The land for the new church was donated by John
Geiser; it was on the site of the present cemetery. A frame
building, 25x36 feet, to serve as a church, was erected on the
land donated and was dedicated by Bishop de St. Palais, in
1853.

Avilla received its first resident pastor in 1858, in the
person of Rev. Henry Schaefer. The sphere of labor, assigned
to him, extended from Elkhart county to the Ohio State Hne,
and from Allen county north to the Michigan State boundary.
Rev. Francis Deipenbrock was appointed to succeed Father
Schaefer, in 1863. The little church having become entirely
too small, he built an addition of twenty feet to it. Rev.
John Wemhoff took charge in December, of the same year,
and remained until December 1865. The Rev. A. B. Oechter-
ing had charge until May 12, 1867.

The Rev. Dominic Duehmig arrived in Avilla on February
22, 1867, and on May 12th, of the same year, was installed as
pastor of the Church of the Assumption at Avilla, and con-
tinued as such until June 3, 1905, the date of his death. Father
Duehmig found his parish to consist of about forty families,
and a Httle building 18x24 feet, serving as a school, with an
attendance of only seventeen children. Father Duehmig at
once added twelve feet to this building. He secured the
services of John Everhardy as teacher, who was later suc-
ceeded by August Vogeding, who was organist of the church
for twenty-eight years, and then by Edward Spoth, who had
become a famous composer of church music. In 1872 the Poor
Handmaids of Jesus Christ taught the school for some time,
until the Sisters of St. Francis of the Sacred Heart took charge.

When Thomas Storey, in the early part of 1876, donated
the congregation six and one-quarter acres of land, located
about one-quarter of a mile south of where the first church
stood, the majority of the members of the congregation decided
to build the new church on this ground. The corner stone of
the new church was laid, by Father Duehmig, in the fall of 1 876.
The new church is a beautiful brick building, 44x113 feet in
size, and owing to careful supervision and management, includ-
ing the frescoing, the pews and stained glass windows, cost
only |8,600. Bishop Dwenger dedicated it on May 19, 1878.
The church is of Roman architecture, with a seating capacity

248 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

of 400. The pulpit and the side altars were placed in 1880,
the pipe organ in 1885, and the main altar in 1895.

The new school house was erected in 1878. An addition,
30x36 feet was built in 1900, thereby enlarging the Sisters'
dwelling, and providing a little chapel for their use. One
hundred and fourteen children are on the school roll, taught
by three Sisters. A commodious priest's house was erected
south of the church, in 1889, at an outlay of |3,600. In 1895
Father Duehmig became largely instrumental, in supplying the
buildings of the Old Peoples' Home, with a more modern
structure. In the year 1904, Father Duehmig erected a Mor-
tuary Chapel in the cemetery and named it the Chapel of the
Immaculate Conception, in commemoration of the Golden
Jubilee of the definition of that dogma. Father Duehmig did
not live to see it entirely finished. He departed this life, as
already stated, on June 3, 1905.

Four great events have been specially commemorated in
St. Mary's parish. First, the Silver Jubilee of Pope Pius IX,
in 1871. Second, the Silver Jubilee of Rev. D. Duehmig, in
1891. Third, the Fourhundredth Anniversary of the Dis-
covery of America, in 1892. Fourth, the Pontifical Silver
Jubilee of Leo XIII.

The congregation has the following societies: The Rosary
Society, for married women, seventy-seven members; St.
Joseph's School Society, for married men, fifty-eight members;
the Young Men's Sodality, for single men, sixty-six members;
the Young Ladies' Sodality, for single women, sixty-six mem-
bers; the Holy Childhood, for children, one hundred and ninety
members; the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, sixty
members; the Apostleship of Prayer, three hundred and seventy
members; the Confraternity of the Scapular of Mount Carmel,
fifty-six members; and the C. K. of A., forty-two members.

On July 1, 1905, the Rev. John H. Bathe took charge of
the parish. Father Bathe cleared up the financial affairs of
the congregation and on October 3, 1905, having finished the
Mortuary Chapel, dedicated it.

Assistant priests at St. Mary's, in the order given, were:
Rev. M. Zumbuelte, Rev. Louis A. Moench, Rev. Maurice
Helferich, O. S. B., Rev. Henry Meissner, Rev. George Lauer,
Rev. John Schmitz, and Rev. William C. Miller.

The Churches, Continued. 249

St. Mary's Church has given three of her sons to the priest-
hood and fifteen of her daughters have entered the religious
state of Hfe. The parish at Avilla has eighty-six families,
numbering 509 souls. The debt on the church property is

$1,050.

LA PORTE.

ST. Peter's church.

1853.

The Government had a land office located where Laporte
now is, for the purpose of disposing of the land, in the year
1833. Settlers had arrived here as early as 1830. The town
was surveyed in the year 1833. The first railroad to enter
into Laporte was, what is now known as the Lake Shore and
Michigan Southern, in 1852, and extended to Chicago the
following year. The Lake Erie railroad was built between
Laporte and Plymouth in 1856, and in 1871 the branch to
Michigan City. With the building of the railroads Catholic
famiUes settled in Laporte. In those days, priests from Notre
Dame visited the place at regular intervals, and Mass was
celebrated in private houses. Mass was also celebrated in the
old university building, better known as the Medical College,
which was situated on the site of the present "Central School
Building." Mass was even said in the old Methodist church,
located on the northeast corner of Jefferson and Monroe streets.
In the history of Laporte, by Packard, we read; "The exist-
ence of St. Peter's Church is almost coeval with that of the
city of Laporte." An old baptismal record, and old records
prior to 1870 show, that this church was formerly called the
Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In 1849, the Holy Cross Fathers visited Laporte, and said
Mass once a month in a little school-house, at the west end of
Harrison street. When no opportunity for Mass was given in
Laporte, people would travel twelve miles over sandy and
rough roads to Michigan City, to assist at the Holy Sacrifice.
Many of them would go to Notre Dame to receive the Sacra-
ments. The Holy Cross Fathers travelled, either in cumber-
some farm wagons or on horse back to reach Laporte.

250 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Rev. M. P. Rooney built the first church, 30x40 feet, part
of which is still standing. It was erected between 1853 and
1854 and was very primitive. The faithful knelt upon mother
earth, the altar was constructed of dry goods boxes, con-
fessions were heard by the priests sitting on the altar steps.
Later on, Rev. Francis Lawler added wings to the building,
and to the rear of the church annexed the priest's house. Here
the priests lived until 1880, when Rev. M. E. Campion built
the present house, at a cost of |1,793. Rev. John Crawley
remodeled the church, in 1893, and built a steeple: but he did
not live to celebrate Mass in the church he had beautified.

From the year 1840, Rev. F. Cointet, C. S. C, Rev. A.
Shortis, C. S. C, and Rev. C. SchilHng, C. S. C, visited Laporte
and vicinity. Father Rooney was the first resident pastor.
After him came Rev. R. Wallace, C. S. C, and Rev. B. J. Force,
C. S. C. From 1854 to July 1859, Rev. E. B. Kilroy was pastor.
Father Kilroy was succeeded by the Rev. Francis Lawler, the
first secular priest in charge of this parish. Rev. Timothy
O'SuUivan was pastor here from 1870 until June 1880. He
also visited the missions Walkerton, Wanatah and Westville.
During his time the Lake Shore railroad shops were moved
from Laporte, causing an enormous decrease in the Catholic
population. Father O'Sullivan was succeeded by the Rev.
M. E. Campion in June 1880, remaining until May 1883. He
built the frame pastoral residence. Rev. James A. Twigg
came next, from the spring of 1883 until the fall of 1884, when
he was succeeded by Rev. J. B. Crawley. The latter con-
tracted pneumonia when the remodeled church was dedicated,
and died on December 19, 1893. Until October 1897 Rev.
John Grogan was the pastor, when he was compelled to resign
owing to bad health. The present pastor was appointed on
October 9, 1897, his name is Rev. George M. Schramm.

The present church property has 188 feet front on Monroe
street. The ground was secured by the founder of Notre
Dame. The seating capacity of St. Peter's Church is 400.

Brother Daniel, C. S. C. taught school, in 1855, using the
church for a school- room. In the spring of 1856 school was
taught in a building, located where now the priest's house
stands. Later on, the Sisters bought the Walker homestead,
situated on Ridge street, the ground comprising an entire

The Churches, Continued. 251

block, and located at a distance of about five blocks from the
church. The old school building was moved to this place, and
here the Sisters opened an academy for girls, though it is the
parish school also. The school having become too small, it is
being enlarged, at the present time. These sisters are Sisters
of the Holy Cross. They reside in the convent, annexed to
the school, which was formerly the old Walker residence.
Non-Catholics also send their daughters to this school, which is
called St. Rose's Academy.

St. Peter's Aid Society for Men, with a membership of
fifty-two, was organized in 1901. Its object is to unite the
men of the parish and afford relief in time of need. The Rosary
Society, for married Women, was first called the altar society
organized in 1855, and has a membership of ninety-one. The
Sodality of the Children of Mary, established in 1882, has
eighteen members. In 1903, the St. Aloysius Society was
organized, with a present membership of twenty. The Young
Ladies' Sodahty of the Immaculate Conception has seventy
members. The number of families is 162, numbering 654
souls. The debt on the church property is |1,000.

Millcreek and Stillwell are stations, attended from Laporte.
The pioneer pastors of Laporte had the care also of Chesterton,
Warsaw, Walkerton, Wanatah and Westville, at different times.

A statement concerning St. Peter's Church at Laporte,
dated July 26, 1872, made by Rev. Timothy O'Sullivan to
Bishop Dwenger, presents some interesting items. A few may
be given: "Value of church property |6,375. Number of
Full Families, including Walkerton, Fish Lake and Eastward
on Railroad about 105, of these forty-five families do little or
nothing for the church; some of them scarcely ever make their
appearance in church. Families of Widowers or Widows,
twenty-two, of which eleven pay little or nothing towards the
support of the church. Parties married to non-Catholics five,
of which three do nothing for the church. One woman has
become an infidel. Young women or men working for them-
selves fifteen, of these six pay nothing or very Httle. Since
my arrival at Laporte, about twenty-seven families have
moved away. One or other of the parties is German. We
have a parochial school and an Academy of the Sisters of Holy
Cross. Income: Pew rents about $600. Sunday collections

252 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

|140. My salary here has been |600 a year. Since I received
charge of Chesterton, I always try to supply my place here
on Sundays by a priest from Notre Dame."

SOUTH BEND.

ST. Joseph's church.

1853.

The history of the Catholic Church in South Bend dates
back to 1680. In this year, Rev. Claude Allouez, S. J., erected
a most primitive chapel on the borders of St. Mary's lake, of
the present Notre Dame. At that time it was principally the
Pottawottamie Indians, who worshipped here. After the
death of Father Allouez, which occurred in 1689, came Rev.
James Gravier, S. J., who in turn was succeeded by Rev. Claude
Aveneau, S. J., when, in 1759, the fort on St. Joseph's river
was reduced by English soldiers, and the survivors were taken
prisoners and were carried away to Quebec. The mission was
then entirely deserted, until it was reorganized by Rev. Stephen
Theodore Badin, who built here a log chapel in 1830, 24x40
feet, which served for church and priest's residence. Father
Badin labored here until 1832, when Rev. Louis de Seille took
up the missionary work in these regions, from 1832 to 1837.
The youthful, newly ordained priest. Rev. Benjamin M. Petit
was Father de Seille's successor, from 1837 to February 10,
1839, the date of his death. For three years thereafter, the
Catholic Indians, and others living in these regions, were
attended by missionaries from different parts at irregular
intervals. From November 26, 1842 until the present day,
however, the Catholics of South Bend have been served faith-
fully by Fathers of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. It
was on the date mentioned, that Rev. Edward Sorin, C. S. C,
with six Brothers arrived and founded Notre Dame.

Until the year 1853 the Catholics of that part of South
Bend known as Lowell, worshipped in the chapel at Notre
Dame: but in the year mentioned. Father Sorin erected a brick
structure, 22x40 feet, on ground which had been secured in
1847, consisting of three lots located on the south-east corner
of Hill, street and La Salle avenue. The addition of a kitchen

The Churches, Continued. 253

and dining room is still standing. . A second story was added
on this building in 1882. Divine services were held here by
priests from Notre Dame, and the school was taught in the
same building by Sisters of the Holy Cross. This building
was known first as St. Alexius' School and Chapel, and later as
the Academy of the Assumption. The priests who attended
St. Alexius' Chapel from Notre Dame were: Rev. Edward
Sorin, C. S. C, Rev. Alexius Granger, C. S. C, Rev. Francis
Cointet, C. S. C, Rev. Richard Shortis, C. S. C, Rev. Thomas
Flynn, C. S. C, Rev. B. J. Force, C. S. C, Rev. J. Bourget,
C. S. C, Rev. Z. Leveque, C. S. C, Rev. P. P. Cooney, C. S. C,
Rev. Thomas Carroll, C. S. C, Rev. W. Corby, C. S. C, Rev. C.
Exel, C. S. C, Rev. J. C. Carrier, C. S. C, Rev. P. Hartlang,
C. S. C, Rev. A. Lemonnier, C. S. C, Rev. S. Daugherty,
C. S. C, Rev. L. J. L'Etourneau, C. S. C, Rev. Julius Frere,
C. S. C, and Rev. Louis Neyron. It was in the year 1867, that
Father L'Etourneau began to take up a subscription for the
new church, and how difficult it was in those days to collect
money may be surmised from the fact, that in two years and
four months he collected |748.83. The new church was erected
on the corner of Hill street and LaSalle avenue, at a cost of
$1,385.76. It was a frame building, 40x60 feet, and was com-
pleted in September 1868. A sacristy and one room were
added to the rear of the church, and on July 1, 1869, Father
Frere, became the first resident pastor of St. Joseph's Congre-
gation. A paper, left by Father Frere, contains the census
of the parish which he took up in 1868 and which records
forty-seven families, with a total of 210 souls. Even in those
early days St. Joseph's had flourishing societies: The Ladies
of Nazareth, since 1860, who had charge of the sanctuary and
altar, who, since 1890, have become members also of the
Apostleship of Prayer, of the Living Rosary, of the Confra-
ternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Children of
Mary, since 1862. The St. Joseph's Society for Men since
1868, the strongest Cathohc organization in South Bend in its
day, it flourished until 1896. The St. Aloysius' Society for
Boys, since 1868, known today as the Catholic Knight's Cadets.
Father Oechtering of Mishawaka was want to say "that any
priest may organize societies for boys, but that not even the
grace of God can keep them up."

254 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

In the fall of 1870, Rev. William Demers, C. S. C, was
made the second resident pastor of St. Joseph's Church. He
repaired and improved the church property, in many respects.
On December 26, 1872, at high noon, the church burned down.
The origin of the fire was not known at the time, but some
years later, an unfortunate man on his death bed at Laporte,
confessed to the deed. The Blessed Sacrament, the sacred
vessels, the church books and the church vestments were
saved, and the church was insured for |2,500. "Even the
famous reed organ was thrown down from the gallery, and out
of the burning edifice. It survived the fall, but to judge from
the groans which it now occasionally emits in the present St.
Joseph's school, it never got over the shock." The congrega-
tion now returned to the old St. Alexius' Chapel, with Rev.
Peter Lauth, C. S. C, as their pastor and Father Sorin bought
the block, on which St. Joseph's Hospital now stands. Here
he erected a brick building, 32x50 feet, the upper story of
which was used for a church, and the lower for a boys' school,
with rooms for pastor and teachers. Father Lauth was pastor
from January 1873 till September 1874, and was succeeded by
Father L'Etourneau, who remained until September 1875,
when Father Lauth returned and was pastor till September
1876. Rev. William Demers, C. S. C, from September 1876
to September 1877; Rev. P. F. Veniard, C. S. C, from Sep-
tember 1877 to July 1, 1880; Rev. Thomas Vagnier, C. S. C,
from July 1, to August 1880; Rev. Michael Philip Fallize,
C. S. C, from August 15, 1880 till the fall of 1888. Father
Fallize was a most energetic pastor. Being himself a musician,
the choir received his first attention. A new census taken by
him revealed the necessity for a new church, and it was decided
to put up a new church, on the site where the church had been
destroyed by fire, in 1872. The present St. Joseph's Church
was accordingly built, a brick structure, 51x149 feet, at a cost
of $18,000. The corner-stone was laid at the close of July
1881, and the church was dedicated September 10, 1882.
During the erection of the church. Rev. D. Hagerty was as-
sistant to Father Fallize. In 1884 a two-story brick building,
30x60 feet, costing about $4,000, was provided for a boys'
school and a hall. The school was taught by Brothers of the
Holy Cross for two years, since which time the Sisters of the

The Churches, Continued. 255

Holy Cross have had charge of them. Father FalHze estab-
Hshed the CathoHc Knights of America, known as St. Paul's
Branch, in 1885, and also the Total Abstinence Society, he
being the State President for years. The next pastor was
Rev. James Gleeson, C. S. C, from the fall of 1888 till August
1889. After him came Rev. N. J. Stoflfel, C. S. C, who attended
St. Joseph's from Notre Dame during one year, before he took
up his residence at St. Joseph's. In the summer of 1891 the
boys' school and hall building was converted into a pastor's
residence, at a cost of $1,355. Costly repairs and improve-
ments were made, including a first-class furnace for the church.
A children's fair held in 1900 netted |1,860. Alexius Coquil-
lard, who died in February 1890, bequeathed $5,000 to St.
Joseph's Church. Father Stoffel departed this life, on March
20, 1902.

The next pastor of St. Joseph's Church, and who is the
pastor at the present time, is the Rev. Peter Lauth, C. S. C,
who took charge on April 5, 1902. Since his advent all but
$1,200 of the old debt has been paid, and many repairs and
necessary improvements, amounting to over $3,300, including
new roofs on church and house, construction of sewer, paving
of streets, frescoing of the church have been made. It is the
intention to build a new parochial residence, in the near future.

Besides the societies mentioned, St. Joseph's has at present
the Holy Name Society, with fifty members, and the Holy
Angels' Sodality, with 100 members. The records show that
the parish includes about 330 families, with a total of 1,826
souls.

St. Joseph's parochial school is attended by 306 children,
in charge of seven Sisters of the Holy Cross. The church
property has a debt of $1,200.

LAFAYETTE.

ST. BONIFACE' CHURCH.
1854.

In 1853, Bishop de St. Palais entrusted Rev. Philip Doyle
with the organization of the German Parish in Lafayette.
Two lots were purchased, and a substantial brick building was

256 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

erected, fronting on Tenth street, in 1854, at a cost of |8,400.
Rev. Pinkers, succeeding Father Doyle, erected a brick school
building, fronting on Ferry street. Up to 1863, Rev. Neuber,
Rev. John Wemhoff and Rev. Joseph Stephan were pastors,
in the order named. After them came Rev. Francis Deipen-
brock, during whose pastorate, the present St. Boniface's
Church, situated on the corner of Ninth and North streets,
was erected. The church is of Gothic architecture, 155x60
feet, and without tower and spire cost |28,762.

In the beginning of 1866, Bishop Luers gave the Fran-
ciscan Fathers, of the Cincinnati Province, charge of St. Boni-
face's Church. Rev. Venantius Arnold, O. F. M., was made
the first pastor, and Rev. William Gausepohl, O. F. M., his
assistant. During that year the church was furnished with
stained glass windows, and a magnificent Main Altar. At the
same time, a two-story school building was erected on the
foundation of the old church, on Tenth street. Rev. Dionysius
Abarth, O. F. M., was pastor but on account of ill health had
to retire, in 1870, when Rev. Accursius Beine, O. F. M., suc-
ceeding him, furnished the church with a large pipe organ and
two Gothic Side Altars. In 1871, the lot in the rear of the
church was purchased for 1 1,600, and the present parsonage
built on it for $5,000. Rev. Agnellus Fischer, O. F. M., was
pastor of St. Boniface's Church, from 1878 to 1882, when he
returned to Europe.

During the pastorate of Rev. Daniel Heile, O. F. M., in
1883, a two-story brick building, adjoining the church on
Ninth street, was erected, which has since then served as a
boys' school. It was completed and furnished at a cost of
$7,300. A dwelling for the teachers. Sisters of the Third Order
Regular of St. Francis, was built in 1885, at the corner of
Tenth and Ferry streets, costing |2,500. In the summer of
1887, the tower and spire of the church were completed for
$2,000. Rev. Pius Niehaus, O. F. M., who had been the
assistant at St. Boniface's Church since August 1886, was made
its pastor in 1887. He made various improvements on the
church property. Rev. Ubaldus Webersinke, O. F. M., became
pastor in 1891. Under him the interior of the church was
beautifully ornamented at a cost of $3,000. With becoming
solemnity, the people of St. Boniface's Church celebrated the

The Churches, Continued. 257

Silver Jubilee of the dedication of the present church, on
Sunday December 28, 1890.

From 1892 until August 1897, Rev. Hilary Hoelscher,
O. F. M., was the pastor. He gave the church fme stained
glass windows, two exquisite statues of the Immaculate Con-
ception and St. Joseph for the side altars, two confessionals of
carved oak, and a new communion railing richly gilt and with
a marble top. During the pastorate of Rev. Lucas Gottbe-
hoede, O. F. M., the cemetery, known as St. Boniface Ceme-
tery, consisting of twenty-three acres of land and located
opposite Springvale cemetery, was secured and solemnly blessed
on September 17, 1898, by Bishop Rademacher. The St.
Joseph's Cemetery, consisting of five acres on the north-west
corner of Greenbush and Seventeenth streets, had been used
for the burial of the dead since 1862, and had become inade-
quate.

A red letter day in the history of St. Boniface's Church
will ever remain, Sunday September 24, of the year 1899,
when the Most Rev. Archbishop Martinelli, Apostolic Delegate
for the United States, in the presence of a vast congregation
and a large number of clergy, solemnly consecrated St. Boni-
face's Church to the service of Almighty God. Extensive
improvements had been made for the occasion, such as a new
floor of quartered oak, new pews of the same material, the
three fme Gothic altars redecorated in white and gold, together
with their statuary, the pulpit better located and redecorated,
chandeliers and gas fixtures remodeled, in fact the interior of
the entire church was made to appear as new. Somewhat
later the walls of the church were tuck-pointed, giving the
church the appearance of being newly built of pressed brick.
The Rev. Francis de Paul Lotz, O. F. M., became pastor in
September 1900. His pastorate was distinguished by various
improvements of the church property, notably the lighting of
the church by electricity, and the artistic stone crucifixion
group in the cemetery. The present pastor. Rev. Leonard
Nurre, O. F. M., took charge in September 1903. A notable
event of his pastorate was the solemn celebration of
the Golden Jubilee of the foundation of the parish, on
October 23, 1904. Bishop Alerding celebrated the Pontifical
Mass, assisted by all the former pastors still living, and

258 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

by a number of other Franciscan Fathers; the Very Rev.
Provincial Chrysostom Theobald preached the sermon. Father
Leonard has been especially active in making his parish schools
the very best. The eight grades are taught in it: the larger
boys by an efficient lay teacher, the other classes by six Fran-
ciscan Sisters. The number of pupils is 238.

The following were the assistants at St. Boniface's Church:
Rev. WilHam Gausepohl, O. F. M., from January 1866 to April
1867; Rev. Accursius Beine, O. F. M., from 1867 to 1870; Rev.
Gregory Fangmann, O. F. M., from September 1870 till August
1872; Rev. Stephan Sailer, O. F. M., from August 1872 to
August 1873; Rev. Eberhard Huelsmann, O. F. M., from
August 1873 till August 1874; Rev. Maximilian Schaefer, O.
F. M., from August 1874 to September 1875; Rev. Nicholas
Holtel, O. F. M., from March 1876 to April 1877; Rev. Marcus
Kreke, O. F. M., from September 1876 to April 1877; Rev.
Leonard Nurre, O. F. M., from April 1877 to August 1879;
Rev. Athanasius Lingemann, O. F. M., from August 1879 to
June 1881; Rev. Philibert Altstaetter, O. F. M., from June
1881 to August 1884; Rev. Bonaventure Hammer, O. F. M.,
in Lafayette, since April 1882; Rev. Philip Rothmann, O. F.
M., from August 1884 to August 1886; Rev. Pius Niehaus,
O. F. M., from August 1886 to 1887; Rev. Henry Berberich,
O. F. M., from December 1887 to August 1890; Rev. Ignatius
Wilkens, O. F. M., from August 1888 till September 1890; Rev.
Ignatius Wilkens, O. F. M., from 1891 to December 1892; Rev.
John Capistran Heitmann, O. F. M., from September 1890 to
August 1891; Rev. Otto Ziegler, O. F. M., from January 1893
to August 1894; Rev. Guido Stallo, O. F. M. from August
1893 to September 1894; Rev. Matthias Sasse, O. F. M., from
January 1895 to November 1896; Rev. Gaudentius Schuster,
O. F. M., from October 1896 to August 1897; Rev. Clementine
Broermann, O. F. M., from August 1897 to November 1898;
Rev. Samuel Gelting, O. F. M., from November 1898 to May
1901; Rev. Bede Oldegeering, O. F. M., from May 1901 to
November 1902; Rev. Leander Schell, O. F. M., October 1902;
Rev. Justine Welk, O. F. M.

Six boys of St. Boniface's parish have become priests and
twenty girls have become sisters. St. Boniface's Church has:
The Third Order of St. Francis; Apostleship of Prayer and

The Churches, Continued. 259

League of the Sacred Heart; the Young Mens' and the Young
Ladies' Sodalities of the Blessed Virgin Mary; St. Boniface
Mens' Society, ninety-five members; St. Mary's Ladies' Society,
three hundred and seventeen members; Sacred Heart Young
Ladies' Society, one hundred and thirty-seven members; St.
Joseph's Benevolent Society, one hundred and eight members;
Knights of St. Paul, one hundred and twenty-two members;
Catholic Order of Foresters, three hundred and twenty-five
members.

The St. Boniface's Church property has no debt on it. The
St. Boniface's Cemetery, twenty-three acres, has a debt of
$2,950. The parish has 368 families, numbering 1,936 souls,

MONTEREY.

ST. Ann's church.

1855.

In the memory of the oldest living members of St. Ann's
Church, Rev. Francis Anthony Carius was the first priest to
visit Monterey, from Logansport, every three months and
celebrating Mass in the houses of Martin Keller, and others,
from the year 1852 to 1855. In the latter year. Rev. F. X.
Nigh, residing at Winamac, built a little frame church, about
two and one-half miles north-west of Monterey, on the banks
of the Tippecanoe river. Four acres of ground had been
secured here, November 26, 1851. Father Nigh continued to
visit Monterey (Buena Vista) for a few years after which from
1863 until 1867, it became a mission attended by the pastors
of Plymouth: Rev. Gabriel Volkert and Rev. George Steiner.
From 1867 till 1872, St. Ann's was visited by Rev. Henry
Koenig and Rev. B. Wiedau, from Winamac, after which Rev.
George Zurwellen visited it, from Plymouth, and from January
1873 till September Father Wiedau. From 1873 till 1888, ten
different Fathers, C. PP. S., had the care of Monterey: Rev.
Beatus Ziswyler, 1873 to 1875, who organized the Married
Ladies' Altar Society, the St. Mary's Young Ladies' Society
and the St. Aloysius Young Men's Society. Then came the
Rev. Cosmas Seeberger, C. PP. S., Rev. Theobald Schoch,
C. PP. S., Rev. John Frericks, C. PP. S., Rev. Rudolph Abbre-
deris, C. PP. S., Rev. Conrad Schneider, C. PP. S., and Rev.

260 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Christian Nigsh, C. PP. S. Rev. George Fleisch, C. PP. S.,
who came in September 1880, was the first resident pastor
and remained for five years. He bought the present church
lots in Monterey, in the fall of 1882. The corner-stone of the
new brick church, in Monterey, was laid in the summer of

1883, on which occasion Rev. Henry Meissner preached the
sermon. Bishop Dwenger dedicated the new church in May,

1884. The cost of this church, including the most necessary
furniture, was |6,746.25. In January, 1886, Father Fleisch
was succeeded by Rev. Erhard Fritz, C. PP. S., the last Father,
C. PP. S., in charge of Monterey.

The Rev. Charles Thiele, newly ordained, was the pastor
of St. Ann's Church, from July 1888 till August 1898. The
priest's house of brick was built in 1889, and with the furniture
cost |1,865. In 1891, the church was frescoed for |439. In
1895, a new brick school, hall and Sisters' dwelling combined
was erected on lots, opposite the church, donated by P. A.
Follmar. The building cost |2,700, and Bishop Rademacher
dedicated the same in the fall of the same year. Sisters of
St. Agnes of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, were installed as teachers.
The average daily attendance at school is seventy-five pupils.
When in August, 1898, Father Thiele was removed, the debt
on the church property was $2,275. Rev. Gregory A. Zern
was the next pastor, for two years, and during his time three
acres of ground were bought for $300, one-fourth of a mile
west of town, for cemetery purposes. The first interment was
that of August Fox, on May 1, 1899, from whom the ground
had been bought. Father Zern made some necessary repairs
and improvements on the church and house, and, when in
October, 1899, he was removed, he left a debt of $2,863.20
after him.

The Rev. F. Joseph Bilstein, the present pastor, officiated
for the first time, in St. Ann's Church, on Rosary Sunday,
October 7, 1899. Under his administration the entire debt
was wiped out. St. Ann's has the Married Ladies' Rosary
Society, with fifty-five members; the St. Mary Young Ladies'
SodaHty, with forty-three members; the St. Joseph Young
Men's Society, with twenty-three members; the Catholic Order
of Foresters, with twenty-eight members. The number of
souls is 412, constituting sixty-eight families.

The Churches, Continued. 261

ST. VINCENT, ALLEN COUNTY.

ST. Vincent's church.

1856.

The first settlers of what was then known as New
France, were emigrants from the eastern part of France,
and the parish of today is made up almost exclusively
of the descendants of these early settlers. When the
early days of church life in this settlement are spoken
of the names of the missionaries frequently mentioned,
are Fathers Deschamp, Botti, and Grevin. As a mission,
St. Vincent was attended from the Cathedral at Fort
Wayne, especially by Father Benoit. Alexander Pichon
donated the church grounds, about two acres of land. The
first church was a log structure, and stood in the middle of
of what is now St. Vincent's Cemeterv. It is not known when
this first church was built, nor by whom. The second church
was a frame structure erected by the Rev. August Adam, in
the year 1861, at a cost of |1,476, the congregation furnishing
the lumber and the greater part of the labor. The church was
dedicated on All Saints' day. Father Adam also built the
pastoral residence still in use, in the year 1868. The third and
present church was erected in 1904, during the pastorate of
Rev. M. P. Louen. It is a brick structure, after the Roman
style of architecture and, inclusive of furniture, cost approxi-
mately |12,000. The seating capacity is 350, exclusive of
gallery. The present indebtedness of the parish is $1,100.

The Sacred Heart Academy building was put up, in the
year 1866, by and is under the direction of, the Sisters of the
Holy Cross. A small brick building, adjoining the Academy,
is used for a parish school, attended by thirty pupils.

We gather from the baptismal records, that the pastors of
St. Vincent's Church were the following: Rev. Francis Des-
champ, 1856 till 1858; Rev. Alexius Botti, 1858 till 1860;
Rev. Grevin, 1860 till 1861; Rev. August Adam, 1861 till 1870;
Rev. JuHus Frere, C. S. C, 1870 till 1873; Rev. W. Demers,
C. S. C, 1873; Rev. Constantine Maujay, 1873 till 1875; Rev.
C. Wardy, 1875 till 1878; Rev. Bonnet Roche, C. S. C, 1878
till 1888; Rev. P. J. Franciscus, C. S. C, 1888; Rev. John
Lauth, C. S. C, 1888 till 1890; Rev. J. M. Toohey, C. S. C,

262 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

1890 till 1895; Rev. Jacob Lauth, C. S. C, 1895; Rev. E. Amaud,
C. S. C, 1895 till 1897; Rev. A. E. Lafontaine, 1897 till 1901;
Rev. M. P. Louen, 1901 till January 1, 1907; Rev. Ambrose
Dowd, C. PP. S., since Jan. 1, 1907.

The missions St. Leo and Pier Settlement are attended
from St. Vincent's; the former on the third Sunday of the
month, the latter four times a year. These churches are St.
Leo's and St. Michael's.

UNION CITY.

ST. mary's church.

1856.

As far back as 1852, it is of record that Rev. John Quinlan,
afterwards Bishop of Mobile, Alabama, visited the Catholic
families of Union City and vicinity. He administered to their
spiritual wants until 1854, and was succeeded by the Rev.
Sheon, the resident pastor at Sidney, Ohio. In 1855, we find
the name of Rev. J. B. Hemsteger of Piqua, Ohio, attending
Union City, as a station.

As a mission Union City was visited from Piqua, Sidney
and Greenville, Ohio, for a number of years. The first church
was a chapel, erected on the farm of Joseph Wise, about two
miles east of town, under the supervision of Rev. McClare, in
the year 1856. Father Hemsteger again had charge from
1857 to 1860. He was succeeded by Rev. Thripe of Piqua,
Ohio, and soon after, by Rev. Shelhammer of Greenville, Ohio.
The number of Catholics was rapidly increasing, and in 1865
a brick church, with a seating capacity of 250, was erected on
Plum street. At the present time this building is used as a
hall and chapel. Rev. John McMahon was in charge of St.
Mary's Parish, from 1862 till 1867. When the diocese of Fort
Wayne was established, in 1857, every doubt was removed as
to whether St. Mary's Church was in the archdiocese of Cin-
cinnati or, what was up to that time, the diocese of Vincennes.
From 1857 St. Mary's Parish has been attended by priests of
the Fort Wayne diocese.

Rev. Lawrence Lamoor was the pastor from 1867 till
1870. After him Rev. Frederick Von Schwedler had charge,
and was succeeded by Rev. Martin Noll, who attended to

The Churches, Continued. 263

Union City from 1872 till 1875. During the pastorate of Rev.
Jeremiah Quinlan, which extended from 1875 till 1890, funds
were being collected for the erection of a new church, as the
old church was too small to accommodate the congregation.
The number of souls at this time had increased to 650. Father
Quinlan's successor was the Rev. Francis A. King, who was
the pastor from 1890 till 1899. It was under his pastorate,
that the present church, on the corner of Plum and Hickory
streets, with a seating capacity of 600, was begun and com-
pleted before the close of 1892, at a cost of |25.000. The Rev.
Michael Byrne was the pastor at Union City, from 1899 till
the spring of 1901, since which time the present pastor, the
Rev. John Durham, has had charge of the congregation. The
church property, situated in the center of the city, consists of
four lots or a half block, on which are the beautiful brick church,
the school-house, a hall and chapel, the priest's and the Sisters'
residences. A commodious new school-house and Sisters'
house is being erected at the present time.

The parish has a Rosary Society of one hundred and forty-
three members; a Young Ladies' Sodality of sixty-five mem-
bers; a Columbian Literary Club of eighty members; the Holy
Angels' Sodality of ninety members; the Knights of Columbus
of one hundred members and also the Catholic Benevolent
Legion.

The Sisters of the Holy Cross conduct the school, which
is attended by eighty-one pupils. The parish has 126 families,
numbering 580 souls. When the erection of the nev/ school
was begun in 1907, St. Mary's church was out of debt, and had
about i5500 in the treasury, not counting a liberal subscription.

The mission, St. Joseph's Church, at Winchester, is at-
tended from Union City.

KEWANNA, P. O., FULTON COUNTY.

ST. Ann's church.

1857.

These parts were visited as early as 1855, as a station, by
priests who, for the most part, were located at Logansport,
The names of priests given in this connection are: Rev.
Francis Anthony Carius, about 1855; Rev. William Doyle,

264 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Logansport, from 1855 to 1857; Rev. Charles T. Zucker, Logans-
port, from 1857 to 1859; Rev. George A. Hamilton, Logans-
port, from 1859 to 1864; Rev. Bernard Kroeger, Logansport,
assistant to Father Hamilton; Rev. Bernard Joseph Force,
Logansport, from 1864 to 1868; Rev. Matthias Zumbuelte,
assistant at Logansport, from 1866 to 1868; Rev. Matthew E.
Campion, Logansport, from April 1868 to January 1869. They
came on horseback, over roads well nigh impassable, once a
month and celebrated Mass in private houses. The families
were few and scattered. In 1857 or 1858 Rev. F. X. Nigh, of
Pulaski, induced the people to build a church. It was a plain,
little frame building and the number of families, at this time,
was about fifteen. The ground, on which this first church
stood, contains about three acres, and where the present church
stands is about two acres. The first mentioned three acres
are used for cemetery purposes, and the new ground was
bought by Rev. D. J. Mulcahy, in 1887. The present church
was built in that same year, and is a plain, frame structure
and cost probably $3,000. It seats about 300.

The first priest's house was built by Rev. John Dempsey,
containing three rooms, and was added to from time to time;
and, after doing service for thirty years, was sold by Rev.
M.J. Ford for $100. In 1902, Father Ford erected the present
pastoral residence, which, including furnishings, cost about
|3,000. There is no debt on the church property. The number
of souls is 300, constituting thirty-seven families. One girl of
the parish has entered the convent.

What is now known as Kewanna and Lucerne, was, in
the early days, Fulton and Harrison, and then Grass Creek
and Harrison. The succession of pastors, from 1868 to the
present time, is the following: Rev. Charles J. Mougin, Har-
rison, from April 13, 1868 till 1870; Rev. James O'Brien, Har-
rison, from 1870 till fall of 1871; from October 29, 1871 till
August 2, 1873, a vacancy; Rev. John Dempsey, Fulton, from
August 2, 1873 till January 1877; from January 1877 till the
spring of 1878, a vacancy; Rev. Thomas M. Cahill, Fulton,
from the spring of 1878 a few months; Rev. P. J. Crosson,
Fulton, from November, 1878 till the summer of 1880; Rev.
M. Joy, Fulton, from the summer of 1880 till the summer of
1884; Rev. M. F. Kelly, Fulton, from the summer of 1884

The Churches, Continued. 265

till the fall of 1886; Rev. D. J. Mulcahy, Fulton, from the fall
of 1886 till the spring of 1891; Rev. Rudolph Denk, Fulton,
from spring till fall of 1891; Rev. F. C. Wiechmann, Fulton,
from October 1891 till the fall of 1892; from the fall of
1892 till July 1893, a vacancy; Rev. F. W. Schaeper, C. PP. S.,
Fulton, from July 1893 till the fall of 1893; Rev. G. M. Kelly,
Fulton, from the fall of 1893 till August 1894; Rev. John Cook,
Fulton, from August 1894 till the spring of 1896; Rev. D. J.
Hagerty, C. S. C, Fulton, from spring to September 1896;
Rev. G. A. Zern, Fulton, from September 1896 till the summer
of 1898; Rev. E. J. Boccard, Fulton, from the summer of 1898
till the fall of 1900; Rev. John Blum, Fulton, from November
1900 till June 1901; from the summer of 1901 till May 1902, a
vacancy; Rev. M. J. Ford, Fulton, from May 1902 till Sep-
tember 1904; Rev. Edward J. Houlihan, Fulton (Kewanna),
since October 20, 1904.

The Rosary Society is for all the members of St. Ann's
parish, and the Holy Name Society, for children has twenty
members.

CHAPTER X.

THE CHURCHES, CONTINUED, FROM 1858 TILL 1867.

CHESTERTON — VALPARAISO — HANOVER CENTRE — CRAWFORDS-
VILLE — LAPORTE, ST. JOSEPH'S — NEW HAVEN — SHELDON —
SOUTH BEND, ST. PATRICK'S — ANDERSON — COLUMBIA CITY — ■
DELPHI — GOSHEN — KLAASVILLE — KOKOMO — HOLY
TRINITY — ATTICA — OXFORD PLYMOUTH — EGE — KENT-
LAND — WABASH — FORT WAYNE, ST. PAUL's — COVINGTON —
LEBANON — ARCOLA — REYNOLDS — DYER — KENDALLVILLE —
WINAMAC.

CHESTERTON.

ST. Patrick's church.

1858.

It was in 1824, Joseph Bailey, a Frenchman, brought his
family to northern Indiana and settled about a mile west of
the present Chesterton, at a point known to this day as Bailey-
town. It is said he came in fulfillment of a vow for deliverance
from extreme peril. From 1824 to 1841, Bailey's house was
the home of the Catholic Church in Porter county. The present
Chesterton was in the beginning known as Coflfee-creek ; it was
an Irish settlement, and a station on the Lake Shore railroad,
in 1851. In 1855 its name was changed to Calumet. Up to
1858, Fathers of the Holy Cross, from Notre Dame, attended
to the spiritual needs of Catholics in these regions.

In 1858, Rev. E. B. Kilroy built a small frame church,
and thereafter Calumet was visited every month, from Laporte.
After Father Kilroy came Rev. Paul Gillen, C. S. C, and then
Rev. Francis Lawler. In 1869, the place received its present
name, Chesterton. In 1868, in the month of September, Rev.
John Flynn was appointed the first resident pastor of Ches-
terton. He also attended Walkerton every other Sunday.
Father Flynn died on August 1, 1870, aged twenty-eight years;
his remains were interred in the parish cemetery of Chesterton.
From 1870 to 1875 Chesterton was again a mission, visited by

The Churches, Continued. 267

several priests, as may be ascertained from the baptismal
records. The following names are found there: The Rev.
William F. M. O'Rourke, Rev. F. M. Lawler, Rev. Timothy
O'SulUvan, Rev. Michael O'Reilly, Rev. P. Koncz, and Rev.
C. Wardy. From March, 1875, Chesterton has had resident
pastors up to the present time. Rev. John F. Lang was the
pastor from March 1875 to March 1878. In August 1879,
the Rev. H. F. Joseph KroU took charge of St. Patrick's Church.

In mission days, James Moroney's house was the home of
visiting priests. The first church built, in 1858, was located
quite a distance from Chesterton and too inconvenient for the
attendance of the faithful. For this reason two lots were
bought during Father Flynn's time. A portion of the present
St. Patrick's Church was erected in 1874, Father O'Reilly, of
Valparaiso superintending the work. When Father KroU took
charge, the church was a building devoid of every ornamenta-
tion or even the necessary furniture. He had the church
frescoed, bought three beautiful altars and new pews, and
built the tower, paying off all indebtedness. The spire alone
cost |650. The Rev. Herman Juraschek, in 1902, enlarged
the church by the addition of a transept and a spacious sanc-
tuary, costing |5,635. New stained glass windows were pro-
vided at a cost of $425. Two furnaces were also put in. To
provide the interior of the addition with necessary furniture,
and to supply the sanctuary with what is required as well as
the sacristy, and to build cement sidewalks and otherwise
improving the church grounds necessitated an additional
outlay of some $1,700. The seating capacity of the church is
five hundred.

The parish school had its beginning in 1887, when Father
Kroll opened two class-rooms in the rear of the church, which
arrangement continued until 1902. When Rev. F. Von
Schwedler became the pastor of Chesterton, he had at his dis-
posal $2,886.83, being principal and interest of a bequest made
by Mrs. Rosa Howe to Father Kroll. This money was used
in the erection of the present substantial St. Patrick's school,
60x45 feet. A memorial slab, bearing the donor's name, is
found at the entrance. The lot, on which this school was
built, was bought for $1,500, which money was given to the
church, for funded masses. Having expended the bequest, a

268 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

balance of $1,715 remained due after the building had been
erected. In 1904, an additional half lot was bought, cement
walks were built, and further supplies for the school had to be
purchased. The building has a fine basement used as a club
room for the young men; the main floor has three school-rooms
with a large hall on the second floor, and a special room for
society meetings and library. The parochial school teaches
the eight grades, is conducted by three School Sisters of Notre
Dame and is attended by seventy-seven pupils. Their support
is given them from the church revenue. Some twenty non-
Catholic children attend the school. The Sisters' residence is
one of the landmarks of the town. In 1907 a new and modern
residence is being erected for the Sisters at an expense of $2,100.

The first priest's house was also one of the landmarks, a
very small building, consisting of one room and a kitchen.
The first resident pastors lived in this house, as did also Father
Kroll from 1879 to 1882. The present house was built in
1882 by Father Kroll at a cost of |2,400. Three hundred
dollars have been spent on it since. The furniture of the house
was for the most part donated. The debt on the church prop-
erty is $3,000. There are ninety-three families, numbering
498 souls. One boy is preparing for the priesthood and three
girls have become Sisters.

The Married Ladies' Rosary and Altar Societies were
organized in 1899, with sixty-two members, and in the same
year the Young Ladies' Sodality, with forty-two members.
The Married Men's Rosary Society was established in 1906,
with thirty-five members. The Catholic Columbian League of
Indiana began to exist in 1905, with thirty-six members.
Aside from their spiritual purposes, these organizations assist
the pastor in a financial way.

VALPARAISO.
ST. p.\ul's church.

1858.

It was about 1845 when missionaries began to visit Val-
paraiso, the name of one of these was Rev. F. Cointet, C. S. C.
Priests from Notre Dame, namely, Rev. J. Curley, Rev. E. B.
Kilroy and Rev. E. Leveque visited the place, from 1853 till

The Churches, Continued. 269

1857. They celebrated Mass in the old Court House on Wash-
ington street, and in a grove north-west of the citv. The
number of families at that time was twentv, mostly Irish, but
a few French.

Valparaiso became a mission in 1858, at which time the
first church, a frame structure, 110x50 feet, costing 82,000 was
erected during the pastoral attendance of Rev. Paul Gillen.
The same was made the first resident pastor, residing in a small
cottage south of the church. The church stood on the corner
of Indiana avenue and West Chicago street. The construction
of the Pennsylvania railroad brought many more Irish families,
and that of the Grand Trunk road increased the number of
the French families, making a total of about 200 families, or
900 souls. The resident pastors were: Rev. Paul Gillen,
C. S. C, from 1857 till June 1858; Rev. John H. Force, from
July 4, 1858 till December 27, of the same year; Rev. G. A.
Hamilton, from January 1st, till August 7, 1859; Rev. J
Alexius Botti, from August 1859 till September 19, 1862; after
a vacancy of a few months came Rev. Michael O' Reilly, from
January 17, 1863 till August 4, 1887, the date of his death.
Rev. John Dempsey, from August 25, 1887 till May 1898. Rev.
John H. Bathe, a short time. Rev. L. A. Moench, from July
1898 till February 1903. Rev. William S. Hogan since Feb-
ruary 26, 1903. Four lots, 60x132 feet, facing West Chicago
street, between Academy and Campbell streets, and two lots
of the same dimensions on the corner of Campbell and West
Chicago streets, were bought by Father O'Reilly, in 1866, for
|1,800. The present priest's house, a two-story brick, was
erected in 1870, at a cost of |6,000.

The corner-stone of the present church was laid by Bishop
Dwenger, on October 8, 1883 and w^as dedicated on July 4,
1886. The architecture of it is Gothic; the nave has a width
of fifty feet, the transept eighty-five feet, and the length 165
feet. The seating capacity is 1000. The furniture is all oak,
and the total cost was §65,000.

The school -house on the corner of Academy and West
Chicago streets was erected in 1867. It is a two-story brick
building, 90x50 feet, has four large school-rooms, can accom-
modate 250 pupils and cost §9,000. It was provided with a
new roof and new floors at a cost of §350, in 1906. The school

270 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

is conducted by three Sisters of the Holy Cross, with an attend-
ance of 115 pupils. The Sisters reside in a house on Academy
street, which was on the lot when bought. Father Hogan
spent ?2,000 on it, in 1906, for various repairs and improve-
ments. The pastoral residence, erected in 1870, was improved
by Father Moench, in 1900, at a cost of §1,000. The debt on
the church property is $12,500.

The congregation has 140 families or 800 souls. Quite a
number of these are students of the Normal School located
here. The Rosary Society has seventy members, the Young
Ladies' Sodality, forty; the Sacred Heart Society, thirty; the
Knights of Columbus, ninety-eight, and the Boys' Sodality,
forty. St. Paul's has given the church seven priests and
twenty-five Sisters.

HANOVER CENTRE.

ST. martin's church.

1859.

As early as 1831, the settlement in the center of Hanover
township was called Hanover Centre. In the beginning of
1843, a number of Catholic families purchased small farms, in
this locality, attending divine service at St. John, Lake
county. Four and one-half acres were donated by Matthias
Geisen, and a subscription was taken up to raise funds
to erect a church, in 1858, but the building was not
completed until 1859. It was a small frame building,
about 20x30 feet, to which a sacristy was added, for
the accommodation of the visiting priest. It was called
St. Matthias' Congregation. The Rev. F. X. Nigh organ-
ized the parish and visited it twice a month, attending
also to Turkey Creek, Crown Point and Klaasville. Father
Nigh was succeeded by the Rev. M. P. Wehrle, residing at
Crown Point, and he in turn was succeeded by the Rev. Henry
Renson. In 1866, Rev. Simon Bartosz planned a new priest's
house, but, on account of some disagreement as to its locality,
it was not built until 1867. It was a two-story frame structure,
22x30 feet. In the year 1866, the church, together with all
that it contained, was destroyed by fire. The parishoners,
however, were not to be discouraged. With renewed zeal

The Churches, Continued. 271

steps were taken to rebuild; and in 1868 a frame building,
36x66 feet, at a cost of about $3,000, was completed and called
St. Martin's Church.

In 1869, the Rev. Frank Siegelack was appointed the first
resident pastor, of Hanover Centre, having Klaasville and
Lowell as missions. Rev. F. X. Deimel succeeded Father
Siegelack, in 1873, remaining till 1877, when he was transferred
to the pastorate of Schererville. Father Deimel built a kitchen
to the pastoral residence, in 1875, having the dimensions of
20x30 feet. In August 1877, Rev. William Berg was made its
pastor, having only Hanover Centre to attend to. He pur-
chased the old public school building, using the same for a
summer school, for the Catholic children. This building is
now the Sister's residence. Father Berg remained till June 9,
1881, when he was succeeded by Rev. Charles Steurer. At
this time, the congregation numbered about sixty families.
For six months the parish was left without a priest, and not
until October 1889 did they receive a pastor. On that date,
the Rev. Matthias Zumbuelte, the present pastor, received his
appointment. During the night of July 9, 1902, the frame
priest's house was struck by lightning, caught fire, and, together
with its contents, was destroyed. The people, at once, set to
work to provide a new residence, and in November, of the
same year. Father Zumbuelte occupied the new building. The
residence is equipped with modern conveniences, and cost
about S3, 000.

The number of children being insufficient to continue the
public school, the building was offered for sale to Father
Zumbuelte. In September, of 1904, Father Zumbuelte pur-
chased the building together with its furnishings. Not being
able to procure Sisters to take charge of his school, he engaged
a voung Catholic woman. .\ new railroad was surveyed
through the town, to pass through the building. The com-
pany agreed to move the building near the church, to build a
new cistern and well at a cost of $750. The school-house is
40x60 feet, and valued at 82,500. In September 1905, two
Sisters of St. Francis, of Lafayette, took charge of the school.
They have eighty-one children in their care, and teach the
eight grades.

St. Martin's Church has the following societies: The

272 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Young Mens' Sodality, the Young Ladies' Sodality, the Rosary
Society, St. Martin's Society and the Catholic Order of For-
esters, with a total of 156 members.

In his last will, Hilary Roettgen bequeathed to St. Martin's
Church the sum of |2,000, to be used for the erection of a new
stone church. The congregation has sixty-two families, num-
bering 310 souls. The property consists of five and one-half
acres. There is no debt on the church property.

CRAWFORDSVILLE.

ST. Bernard's church.
1859.

With the building of the Monon railroad. Catholics began
to locate in Crawfordsville. The Rev. Michael J. Clark, of
Lafayette, was the first priest to visit here, celebrating Mass in
the Court House, about the year 1850. The first church was
built on the north side of the town, about 1859. It was a
frame structure, 75x40 feet, costing about |800. The present
church property, at the corner of Washington and Pike streets,
has a frontage of 110 feet on Washington street and runs back
half a block on Pike street. The school property consists of
one full lot on the corner of Main street and Grant avenue.
The present church property was purchased by Rev. E. P.
Walters who had charge from 1868 till 1878. Prior to that
time. Rev. Edward O' Flaherty was the first resident pastor,
from 1856 to 1864. He was succeeded by Rev. Charles Mougin,
from 1864 to 1868. Father Walters erected the present church,
from 1874 till 1876. It is built in the Gothic style of archi-
tecture, has a seating accommodation for about 400 persons,
and cost about |20,000. The Rev. John R. Dinnen, who was
the pastor from 1878 till 1894, furnished the church, built the
priest's house, and purchased the school property on Main
street. The Rev. P. J. Crosson, who had charge from 1894
till 1898, repaired the damage done the church by fire, to the
amount of |5,000, and also had the church frescoed. The
Rev. John Dempsey, pastor, from 1898 till 1906, added to the
sanctuary furnishings, reduced the church debt and looked
after the public improvements ordered by the city. While
celebrating a funeral Requiem, on April 4, 1906, he dropped

The Churches, Continued. 273

dead while singing the Preface. . His successor is the present
pastor, the Rev. W. J. Quinlan.

In 1866, the Sisters of the Holy Cross purchased a residence
on Main street, at a cost of |3,500, and at an expense of ^1,500
transformed the building into St. Charles' Academy. A little
later Father Walters, having purchased the present church
property, also erected a frame building on it and opened a
parochial school, conducted by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
This served its purpose until the present church was to be
built, when the pupils were looked after, at the Academy.
This state of things continued until the present priest's house
was built, when the old priest's house was turned into a boys'
school and so continued until it was condemned by the Board
of Health. In 1894 the congregation bought the Academy
from the Sisters, since which time it has been St. Bernard's
school. The Sisters of the Holy Cross are still in charge and
two of them take the pupils, to the number of sixty, through
the eight grades.

The first priest's house, a frame building, stood adjacent
to the first church on the north side. It was Father O' Flaherty
who built it. The second priest's house fronting on Pike
street, at the rear of the present church, was built by Father
Walters. The present parochial residence was erected in 1886,
at a cost of about $3,500. St. Bernard's parish has 120 families,
numbering 450 souls. The Societies of the parish are the
Rosary Society, the Young Ladies' Sodality, the St. Catharine's
Society, the League of the Sacred Heart and the Purgatorian
Society. One boy at the parish has become a priest and
another boy, a member of the Holy Cross Community, is
studying for the priesthood. Two girls of the parish are now
Sisters of the Holy Cross. The debt on the church property,
at the present time, is |2,450. The mission Ladoga is attended
from Crawfordsville.

LAPORTE.

ST. Joseph's church.
1859.

It was the well known missionary, Rev. F. X. Weninger,
S. J., who in 1859 persuaded the German portion of St. Peter's

274 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

congregation, at Laporte, to form a separate parish. The
first pastor of this new congregation, which was placed under
the patronage of St. Joseph, was the Rev. Martin Sherer, who
built the present church and remained eight or nine years.
Rev. N. Y. Konen succeeded him, for a short time. For three
years and two months Rev. Simon Bartosz was pastor. In
January 1870, the Rev. J. H. Oechtering took charge. He
built the present priest's house, and added the steeple to the
church. After a pastorate of fully ten years, Father Oechtering
was succeeded by the Rev. Joseph Nussbaum, who bought the
present cemetery, secured the Sisters' dwelling, procured a
|1,500 pipe organ, frescoed the church and supplied the church
with a full line of vestments. Father Nussbaum was a straight
forward and outspoken man. He departed this life, as pastor
of St. Joseph's, on December 26, 1895. For about six months
thereafter. Rev. Julius Becks was pastor. After which time,
owing to ill health, he was assigned to the hospital at Anderson.

The parish school was taught by lay-teachers, from Sep-
tember 1880 to September 1896, when the Sisters C. PP. S.
took charge. Two of these Sisters are at present teaching
seventy-five children.

The present pastor, Rev. Anthony Messmann, was ap-
pointed on July 9, 1896. During his pastorate new stained
glass windows were placed in the church at an expense of
|1,200. The church property has no debt on it. St. Joseph's
parish has eighty-nine families, numbering 515 souls. The
Rosary Society, for married women, has sixty members; the
Young Ladies' Sodality has twenty-one members; the Holy
Angels' Society, for children, has twenty-seven members; and
the St. Joseph's Benevolent Association has a membership of
forty-five.

NEW HAVEN.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTISTS CHURCH.
1859.

New Haven was settled by Puritans, who came from the
New England States as early as 1839, when Henry Burgess
laid out the town; but it was not incorporated until 1866.
The first missionary Father, known to have visited New Haven,

The Churches, Continued. 275

was Rev. Alexius Botti, who came in the fall of 1858, and
visited the place once a month for one year. From 1859 until
September 1861, Rev. Grevin, residing at St. Vincent's, had
charge of New Haven.

The Rev. Wolfgang Giedl was the first resident pastor of
New Haven, having Columbia City as a mission; he died on
May 23, 1873, and his remains rest in the cemetery at New
Haven. Rev. Sebastian Birnbaum C. PP. S. assisted Father
Giedl during his illness, and after his death remained until a
successor had been appointed, in the person of the Rev. Ber-
nard Wiedau.

The first services, held in New Haven, took place in the
basement of Nick Schueckmann's house, and also in a rented
dry goods store. Father Botti bought the goods, and the
ladies made the vestments. The congregation, at the time,
numbered twenty-three families. The old church, 30x60 feet,
with a sacristy in the rear of the sanctuary, was erected in
1859, at a cost of $4,000. At this time, the parish numbered
about 120 souls. Four lots of the church property were
bought in 1859, for |300; four more in 1864, for $400, and in
1870 still two more at a cost of |500. On the latter two lots
the present school-house was built, from 1872 to 1873. It is a
two-story brick building and basement, 40x56 feet, having
three school- rooms for 150 children, and a dwelling for the
Sisters, costing |8,000. Several lay-teachers conducted the
school, in a frame building 30x40 feet, till the year 1873, when
the Sisters of St. Agnes took charge. The usual eight grades
are taught, by three Sisters, attended by 140 children.

The present church is a Gothic structure, and was built
from 1876 to 1877. It has been newly decorated and furnished
with a fine 1 1,800 organ, two new side altars, an artistic com-
munion table, a splendid pulpit, a fine baptistry, beautiful
statuary and three harmoniously tuned bells. The church
cost about |20,000, and has a seating capacity of at least 500;
and is free from all indebtedness.

The old church is used for society meetings, and for school
and social entertainments. The parish at present has 114
families, numbering 508 souls. As many as twenty-four girls
of the parish have joined religious communities.

In 1863, the St. Mary's Altar Society was established,

276 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

and shortly after the St. Joseph's School Society. In 1866,
St. John's Benevolent Society was organized; and, about
thirty years ago, the St. Rose of Lima Young Ladies' Sodality.
These societies have done much for the church, and for the
upbuilding of the parish, both in a financial and a spiritual
direction. The Benevolent Society, during its forty years of
existence, has paid out $9,000, for sick benefits, and at present
has |3,000 in the treasury. At present the following are the
societies and the membership: St. John's Benevolent Society,
for- married and single men, ninety-seven; St. Mary's, for
married women, eighty-four; St. Rose's Sodality, for single
women, forty-five; the Holy Childhood, for children, sixty-
five; the Confraternity of the Holy Family, 64; and the Catholic
Knights of America, twenty-eight.

SHELDON.

ST. ALOYSIUS' CHURCH.
1859.

The priests, who had charge of Sheldon, are the following:
Rev. Jacob Mayer, Decatur, July 1858 till 1862; Rev. Aloysius
MeiH, from 1862 till 1863; Rev. Martin Kink, from 1863 till
1866; Rev. Theodore Hibbelen, for a short time; Rev. William
Woeste, from 1866 to 1872; Rev. Joseph Nussbaum, Hesse
Cassel, from 1873 to 1876; Rev. Ferdinand Koerdt, from August
1876 till May 1896; Rev. Rudolph J. Denk, from May 1896 till
Spring 1900; Rev. J. H. Bathe, from April to August 12, 1900;
Rev. H. A. Hellhake, since August 12, 1900.

Father Mayer in 1858 celebrated Mass at the house of
Fred. Weaver. Sixteen families constituted the congregation
at that time. He visited the place on the third Friday of each
month, for several years. In 1859 Christian Miller donated
three acres of land, on the east side of the Blufi"ton road, and
in the same year a frame church, 29x36 feet, was erected on
this land, and was named St. Aloysius' Church. In the course
of time the church became too small, to accommodate the
congregation, and in 1875 Father Nussbaum added to it a
sacristy, and at the same time built a spire, and gave the church
a new roof, thereby involving an expense of |1,400.

Upon his arrival at Sheldon as the new pastor, in August

The Churches, Continued. 277

1876, Father Koerdt at once gave his attention to repairing
the church and also to the erection of a handsome brick priest's
house at an expense of |3,500. On October 9, 1876, he opened
the parochial school which for some time he taught in person.
At the present time, three Sisters of St. Agnes teach the school,
attended by ninety children. Father Koerdt left Sheldon free
from all indebtedness, when on July 3, 1896, he was transferred
to St. Peter's Church, at Fort Wayne. Rev. H. A. Hellhake
is the present pastor. The mission BlufYton, is attended from
Sheldon.

SOUTH BEND.

ST. Patrick's church.

1859.

In the year 1859, Rev. Thomas Carroll, C. S. C, built the
first St. Patrick's Church, a small brick structure 60x30 feet,
with a seating capacity of 350. To pay for the erection of this
church, Father Carroll collected money abroad. During the
pastorate of Rev. P. P. Cooney, C. S. C, 36 feet were added to
the length of this building, and a wing of 50x32 feet, which for
some years served as a school, and then as a place of worship
for German and Polish Catholics, until they were able to provide
a church for themselves. At this time, all the Catholics on
the west side of the St. Joseph river, about 1,250 souls, belonged
to St. Patrick's Church. Thomas Murphy was very kind to
Father Carroll, and until the parochial residence was built, the
pastor made his home with Mr. Murphy, whenever in town.
This first St. Patrick's Church was located on Division street,
and the Grand Trunk railroad, having secured right of way on
this street, made the situation undesirable for church purposes.
During the pastorate of Rev. D. J. Spillard, C. S. C, the property
was sold for |8,000, and with it the present parochial residence
was built.

The present property of St. Patrick's parish, was purchased
during the pastorates of Rev. D. J. Hagerty, C. S. C, and Rev.
John W. Clark, C. S. C, for $7,200. It extends through from
Taylor to Scott street 400 feet, and has a frontage of 140 feet
on Taylor street, and 100 feet on Scott street. The corner-stone
of the present church, which is the second of St. Patrick's

27S The Diocese of Fort Wayne,

parish, was laid in 1886, and was completed the following year,
Father Hagertv being the pastor. The church, with a seating
capacity of 800, is of Gothic architecture, richly frescoed in
cream and gold. All the furniture is of the best material and
harmonizes with the architecture of the building. The church
cost about $37,000, and the furnishings about |8,000. Many
improvements have since been made to beautify the grounds,
not to mention a thousand feet of cement walks, and an iron
fence on Taylor street.

The new St. Patrick's school, built in 1898 by Father
Clark, measures 54x83 feet, and has three large class-rooms
with accommodation for 150 children. The building also con-
tains a large hall, a society room, and a well furnished gym-
nasium. Its cost was $14,000. This school is for boys only,
who are taught by the Sisters of the Holy Cross in a course of
eight grades. Adjacent to St. Patrick's Church is St. Joseph's
Academy, conducted by the same Sisters, which serves also as
a parochial school for the girls, 261 pupils attend the school.
This property belongs to the Sisters, and was provided in 1886.
The Sisters of the Holy Cross, who teach in South Bend, all
reside at St. Joseph's Academy.

The first parochial residence was next to the old St.
Patrick's Church, on Division street, and was a very fine house
at that time, 1865, having cost $8,000. The present parochial
residence on Taylor street was erected by Father Spillard, in
1892, at a cost of $7,500. The debt on the church property is
$4,000.

The Sodality of the Children of Mary was organized in
1866, as well as the Holy Rosary Society, canonically estab-
lished in 1892. The present pastor. Rev, John F. DeGroote,
C. S. C, organized the St. Cecilia's Society for girls, up to their
seventeenth year of age, after which they become Children of
Mary. In 1904, he organized the Holy Name Society, and in
1905, the St. Vincent de Paul Conference. At present the num-
ber of souls in the parish is about 1,282, or 273 families. Three
young men of the parish have become priests, and five of its
young women have entered religious communities.

St. Patrick's Church has had these pastors: Rev. Thomas
Carroll, C. S. C, from 1858 to 1864, during this time he resided
at Notre Dame; Rev. Joseph Carrier, C. S. C, was the pastor

The Churches, Continued. 279

during the absence of Father OarroU, on a collecting tour;
Rev. William Corby, C. S. C, was pastor for three or four
months, in 1865; Rev. Peter P. Cooney, C. S. C, was pastor
from 1865 till March 12, 1871; Rev. Daniel J. Spillard, C. S. C,
from March 1871 till April 1874, and again from 1891 until
1893; Rev. William O'Mahoney, C. S. C, for seven or eight
months, 1874; Rev. John Lauth, C. S. C, for one year, 1875;
Rev. Peter Lauth, C. S. C, from January 1876 till August
1880; Rev. Denis J. Hagerty, C. S. C, from August 1880 till
January 1891; Rev. John W. Clark, C. S. C, from 1893 till
March 16, 1899; Rev. John F. DeCroote, C. S. C, pastor since
March 29, 1899.

ANDERSON.

ST. Mary's church.

1860.

As far back as 1837, priests residing in Logansport visited
Anderson. Prior to that time. Rev. John Claude Francois
and Rev. Vincent Baquelin celebrated Mass here in a log tavern.
Rev. Michael J. Clark came, for several months in 1857, from
Lafayette, to celebrate Mass in the Court House. The number
of souls, almost exclusively Irish, was at this time about sixty.
It was the same Father Clark who in 1858 laid the foundation
for the first Catholic church in Anderson on the site of the
present St. Mary's Church.

Rev. FitzMaurice was the first resident pastor. He was
succeeded by Rev. John McMahon, in 1860. He built the
first church on the foundation laid by Father Clark. It was a
70x36 feet structure and cost about |2,000. The lot on which
it stood was 72x144 feet and cost |100. In 1865 Father
McMahon left for Canada. Rev. J. B. Crawley was the pastor
from 1866 until August 1884. He secured two more lots,
144x144 feet, at a cost of $1,000, and on July 4, 1875, laid the
corner-stone of, and in due time finished, the second St. Mary's
Church, which, for its day and the size of the congregation,
was a splendid structure. He also built a parochial residence,
a plain one-story frame building.

Father Crawley was succeeded by Rev. F. C. Wiechmann,
in August 1884, who during his pastorate built the present

280 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

parochial residence, a brick structure. About this time, the
discovery of natural gas greatly increased the membership of
St. Mary's Church. When on May 7, 1891, Rev. D. J. Mulcahy
was appointed pastor, he determined at once to build a church,
commensurate with the number and importance of his rapidly
growing congregation. Accordingly, the first church bu'lt was
removed, and on its site the corner-stone of the new, and third,
and present St. Mary's Church was laid on July 9, 1893; and
on October 6, 1895, Bishop Rademacher solemnly dedicated
the new sacred edifice to the service of God. The church has
a seating capacity of eight hundred, and is built in the Roman-
esque style of architecture. The interior decorations, the
elegant stained glass windows and all the furnishings harmonize
perfectly. The organ cost $2,500 and the fourteen Stations of
the Cross, beautiful statue groupings, were added during the
past year. The total cost of St. Mary's Church, as we see it
today, was |55,000.

St. Mary's Church has had its parochial school since 1869,
but it was taught in very humble quarters, by lay- teachers.
In September of 1879 the Sisters of the Holy Cross, at the
request of Father Crawley, took charge of the parish school.
They taught school in the first church building and lived in
rented quarters, in the vicinity of the church, until, a new
parochial residence having been erected, the old one became
their place of residence. Having finished the new church, in
1895, Father Mulcahy determined to provide more suitable
quarters for school and for the Sisters' residence. He suc-
ceeded in converting the old church into a school, with com-
modious class-rooms, together with a new two-story brick
residence for the Sisters. This work was completed on February
2, 1898, and necessitated an outlay of $10,000. Six Sisters of
the Holy Cross have charge of St. Mary's School with an attend-
ance of 294 children. The diocesan course of eight grades for
parochial schools is closely followed, and to it is added three
years of high school. The school is supported from the church
revenues; no tuition fee is paid by the children, and St. Mary's
School is therefore a free school. The priest's house built in
1884, by Father Wiechmann, is still in use without any altera-
tion. The debt on the entire church property is $31,200.

The parish has these Societies, for men: Catholic Knights

The Churches, Continued. 281

of America since 1891, with sixty-five members; Ancient Order
of Hibernians since 1893, with fifty-three members; the Brown-
son (Social) Club, with very fine club rooms, since 1900, 115
members; Knights of Columbus, with 110 members. For boys:
the Sodality since 1892, ninety-three members. For women:
The Altar and Rosary Society since 1891, 165 members; the
Ladies' Aid Society, caring for the needs of the parish poor,
since 1897; the Ladies' Auxiliary A. O. H. since 1901, thirty-
five members; the Catholic Lady Foresters, since 1901, twenty-
eight members. For unmarried women: The Blessed Virgin's
Sodality since 1895, 111 members; the Children of Mary, for
girls under eighteen, since 1892, ninety-seven members. The
St. Anthony's Society, for the colored members of the parish,
eighteen members. Besides these there is a St. Mary's Alumni
Association for those who have graduated from St. Mary's
High School.

The number of souls is 1,300. with 267 families. The
total number of boys, who have become priests or are preparing
for the priesthood, is seven, and six girls have become Sisters.
One of the noteworthy men of St. Mary's Parish was John
Hickey, who has been most generous to the parish and who
has given the city of Anderson the splendid St. John's Hospital
conducted by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.

St. Mary's has had the following assistant priests: Rev.
L. R. Paquet from November 1901 to June 1902; Rev. T. M.
Conroy from June 8, 1902 to August 21, 1904; Rev. M. J. Ford
from September 1, 1904 to January 18, 1906; Rev. Edmund
Ley since January 1906.

COLUMBIA CITY.

ST. PAUL OF THE CROSS' CHURCH.
1860.

Columbia City, county seat of Whitley county, was visited
for the first time in the spring of 1856, by the Rev. Edward M.
Faller, pastor of St. Mary's Church, at Fort Wayne. He
offered the Sacrifice of the Mass in a small frame house, occupied
by Joseph Eich. Father Faller repeated these visits, from
time to time, until the summer of 1857, when Columbia City
was made a mission, attended from Huntington, by the Rev.

282 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

F. Fuchs, pastor of SS. Peter and Paul's Church. Rev. Wolf-
gang Giedl, residing at New Haven, assumed charge from 1859
to the spring of 1860, when the Rev. Henry Schaefer bought
ground, on Hannah street, and built a neat frame church,
30x50 feet, completing the same in the fall of 1860. He also
built two one-story frame buildings, to serve as school and
priest's residence. The labor and material were furnished by
the parishoners.

The church becoming too small to accommodate the
faithful, and the location not being a desirable one, steps were
taken to purchase a new site. In 1867, three lots, 150x150
feet, located on South Lime street, were secured at a cost of
|250. Plans and specifications were at once drawn up for a
Gothic structure, 44x110 feet. The corner-stone was laid by
Father Benoit on May 27th, of the same year. In October,
1867, the new church was dedicated by Bishop Luers and placed
under the patronage of St. Paul of the Cross. The cost of the
church, including furniture, was about $12,000. The seating
capacity is three hundred. Father Schaefer continued to Hve
in the old priest's house until 1868, when he erected the present
house, at a cost of about 1 1,500, material and labor being
donated. The present pastor expended about $2,500 for new
pews, stained glass windows, altars, Stations of the Cross,
statuary and frescoing the church. He also equipped the
residence with all modern conveniences. In 1870 Rev. Joseph
Rademacher succeeded Father Schaefer, who in turn was suc-
ceeded by Rev. Matthias Zumbuelte from July 1872 to August
20, 1875; Rev. Peter Franzen temporarily; Rev. Henry A.
Hellhake from October 1875 to May 1, 1886. Father Hellhake
secured the Sisters of St. Agnes to take charge of the school.

The first school was opened in September 1861. It was
in charge of Peter Mettler, with an attendance of about twenty-
eight pupils. Upon the completion of the new church. Father
Sch<xfer purchased a lot opposite the church upon which there
was a frame building. Having repaired and remodeled the
same, it served the purposes of school and teacher's residence.
On May 1, 1886, Rev. A. M. Ellering was made pastor. Seeing
the necessity for more suitable school accommodations, he at
once began the erection of a new school building. A beautiful
structure of red brick and sand stone trimmings, 34x54 feet,

The Churches, Continued. 283

with slate roof, was completed in December of the same year.
The first floor contains two school-rooms, 25x30 feet, hall way
and cloak room; the second floor has a large assembly hall and
ante-room. The cost of the building together with the furniture
was about |5,200. Since September 15, 1880, one Sister of St.
Agnes, of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, has had charge of the school.
The eight grades are taught. At present the school is attended
by forty-six pupils. The school is supported by monthly
tuition and voluntary donations. The Sisters occupy the old
school-house, which has been remodeled for a dwelling at a
cost of |400. The congregation is free from all indebtedness.
The number of souls is 312, consisting of sixty-two families.
Three girls of the parish have entered rehgious communities.

St. Paul's Church has the following Societies: Catholic
Knights of America, established in 1880, with seventeen mem-
bers; the Married Men and Young Men's Society, with thirty-
nine members; the Rosary Society for married women, with
forty-one members, and the Young Ladies' Sodality, with
twenty-eight members. Aside from their spiritual purposes,
these organizations assist the pastor in a financial way.

The pastor at Columbia City also attends the mission
Warsaw, visiting it on the fourth Sunday of every month, and
occasionally on week days.

DELPHI.

ST. Joseph's church.
1860.

Beginning with 1854, Delphi was regularly visited by these
priests: Rev. Michael J. Clark, of Lafayette; Rev. D. Maloney,
of Lafayette; Rev. Joseph Stephan, of Rensselaer; Rev. John
McMahon, of Lafayette; Rev. William Doyle, of Logansport;
Rev. J. A. Winter, of Lafayette. Services were held once a
month in the old Delphi House. The number of souls at this
time was about 150, two-thirds of them Irish and one-third
German and French. A brick building, 35x40 feet, was bought
in 1860 for |900. The priests visiting Delphi, as a mission,
were Rev. George A. Hamilton, from June 8, 1860, to January
31, 1861; Rev. John Vahey from February 1, 1861 to May 19,
1861; Rev. Wilham Gausepohl, O. S. F., of Lafayette, from

284 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

January 21, 1866 to December 1866; the latter visited Delphi
every Sunday. By this time the number of souls had increased
to 250.

The church grounds consist of five lots, of 30x120 feet each.
The first lot was bought April 19, 1860, for |500, the second
April 27, 1863 for |800, and the three other lots April 20, 1899.
These three lots with the Sisters' house cost about |3,000.
About ten acres of ground were acquired, October 5, 1887, for
|1,000; this ground is used for cemetery purposes.

The foundation of St. Joseph's Church was laid by Father
Vahey in March and April 1860, and Father Hamilton built
the church in the fall of the same year. It was dedicated by
Bishop de St. Palais, Bishop Luers being present, on February
9, 1861. The building is of brick, 45x90 feet, Gothic archi-
tecture and cost |9,000. The first building bought and used
for divine services was now sold for |700. Rev. John Bleck-
mann had the church frescoed, he also procured a church bell
and an organ. Rev. Charles Romer had it redecorated in
1894, put in a furnace in 1898, and completed the steeple in
1899. Rev. Edward Boccard secured a new altar, put in
electric lights, baptismal font and holy water basins. The
seating capacity of the church is 400.

The dimensions of St. Joseph's school building are 40x50
feet. The building was erected by the Rev. A. B. Oechtering
in 1863, at a cost of $2,000. Father Boccard put new desks in
the school in 1903. Lay-teachers taught the school from
1861 to 1875. The Sisters of Providence from 1875 to June
1901. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Tipton since September
1901. The eight grades are taught, two Sisters teaching sixty-
six children. The Sisters lived in a rented house, from 1875
to 1883. The Daly property was bought by Father Bleck-
mann in 1883 for |1,700; but this house being too far from the
church and school, the Weber property was secured, April 13,
1889, for $3,000 and the old Sisters' house sold.

The first priest's house was a one-story building of four
rooms and stood on the lot, bought in 1863. The present
priest's residence is a two-story brick building, with eight
rooms, built by Rev. T. O'SuUivan, in 1869, for $2,385; Father
Romer added a porch in 1899 and Father Boccard, in 1903,
put in electric lights. There is no debt on the church property.

The Churches, Coniinued. 285

The parish has the Rosary Society, for married women,
since 1865; the Children of Mary, since May 1, 1876; the St.
Aloysius' Society, since 1880; the Sacred Heart League, since
1893; the CathoHc Benevolent Legion, since 1877; the Ancient
Order of Hibernians, reorganized in 1894. The aggregate
membership of these organizations is 262. The number of
souls of St. Joseph's Parish at present is 431, consisting of
ninety-six famiUes. One boy of the parish has become a priest,
and another has joined the Christian Brotherhood; eight girls
have entered religious communities.

The following priests attended Delphi, when it was a
station: Rev. Michael J. Clark, 1856; Rev. D. Maloney, 1857;
Rev. Joseph Stephan, 1858-1859; Rev. J. McMahon, September,
October and November of 1860; Rev. William Doyle; Rev.
J. A. Winter and Rev. Neuber.

The following, when it was a mission: Rev. George A.
Hamilton, June 8, 1860, to January 31, 1861; Rev. John
Vahey, February 1 to May 19, 1861, and Rev. William Gause-
pohl, O. F. M., from January 1, 1866 to December 28, 1866.

The following were the resident pastors: Rev. A. B.
Oechtering, from May 26, 1861 to December 20, 1865; Rev.
John Kelly, acting pastor, 1864; Rev. Timothy O'SuUivan,
from January 1867 to April 24, 1870; Rev. J. H. Quinlan,
from April 24, 1870 to September 14, 1871; Rev. P. M. Frawley,
from September 14, 1871 to April 4, .1875; Rev. Matthew E.
Campion, April and May of 1875; Rev. John Bleckmann, from
May 9, 1875 to February 17, 1885; Rev. Henry A. Boeckelmann,
from February 15, 1885 to December 31, 1891; Rev. Charles
M. Romer, from January 1, 1892 to July 17, 1901, and Rev.
Edward J. Boccard, since July 17, 1901.

GOSHEN.

ST. John's church.
1860.
Priests who had charge of this church at different times
were: Prior to 1860, priests from Fort Wayne or Notre Dame,
had Mass in the old Court House or private dwellings. Of these
Rev. Alex. Granger, C. S. C, Very Rev. Edward Sorin, C. S. C,
and Rev. Henry Vincent Shaefer are remembered; Rev. Fred-
erick J. Holz, from 1861 till 1866, the first resident pastor;

286 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Rev. A. B. Oechtering, from Avilla, for six months; Rev. Storr,
resident pastor in 1867; Rev. D. Duehmig, from Avilla, one year
till close of 1868; Rev. H. Meissner, from the close of 1868 till
1871; Rev., D. Duehmig, from Avilla, a short time in 1871;
Rev. J. H. Quinlan, from Elkhart, in the same year; Rev. M.
F. Noll, from Elkhart, till 1878; Rev. H. A. Boeckelmann,
resident pastor, from 1878 till 1880; Rev. A. J. Kroeger, from
1880 till 1887; Rev. Adam Buchheit, from the fall of 1887 till
1889; Rev. S. M. Venn, from August 1, 1889 till February 1,
1900; Rev. F. A. King; Rev. W. S. Hogan, from September 7,
1902 till February 1903; Rev. J. B. Fitzpatrick, since February
1903.

The church was built in 1860. The first school building
was erected in 1867, by Father Meissner, at a cost of $500.
This school was taught by lay-teachers. In 1881, Father
Kroeger built a brick school-house, at a cost of $1,100. In
that same year the Sisters of the Holy Cross were given charge
of the school. The building is located west of the church on
the corner of Third and Monroe streets, and its dimensions
are, 30x40 feet. I n 1 889, the school was attended by fifty-seven
children. The St. Joseph's Society, established in November
1892, gives support to the school. Upon the arrival of the
Sisters, Father Kroeger gave his frame residence to the Sisters
and Hved in a rented house until he had provided the present
brick residence.

Goshen has ninety CathoHc families, numbering 362 souls.
The school now has an attendance of seventy-three children,
and is taught by three Sisters of the Holy Cross, in the eight
grades. The Societies are: St. John's, for married men, forty-
two members; the Rosary Society, for married women, sixty-
five; the Young Ladies' SodaHty, thirty-eight; St. Agnes', for
girls, eighteen; St. Aloysius', for boys, twenty-one; Holy Angels',
for children, forty-three; the League of the Sacred Heart, 160
members. Since Father Fitzpatrick's advent many repairs
and improvements have been made on all the buildings, and
a heating plant for all has been installed. The debt on the
church property is only $600.

Up to 1897 the missions Ligonier and Millersburg were
attended from Goshen. Since 1903, Millersburg is again in
charge of the pastor at Goshen.

The Churches, Continued. 287

KLAASVILLE.

ST. Anthony's church.
1860.

The following is the chronological order in which, the
priests named, had charge of Klaasville: Rev. F. X. Nigh,
Pulaski, from 1860 to 1861; Rev. Martin Kink, Pulaski, from
1861 to 1863; Rev. F. Fuchs, died at Klaasville October 8,
1863; Rev. B. Rachor, St. John, and Rev. M. P. Wehrle, St.
John, 1863 till 1866; Rev. Henry Renson, Klaasville, from
1866 till 1869; (Rev. Martin Sherer, baptismal record, Feb-
ruary 26, 1867;) Rev. Francis Siegelack, Hanover Centre, from
October 1869 till May 6, 1873; Rev. F. X. Deimel, Hanover
Centre, from June 25, 1873 till August 10, 1877; Rev. John
H. Bathe, Klaasville, from August 10, 1877 till December 30,
1881; Rev. Charles A. Ganzer, from January 1, 1882 till April
27, 1891; Rev. Peter J. Weber, from April 27, 1891 till August
1895; Rev. Adam Buchheit, from August 1895 till August
1898; Rev. F. X. Ege, since August 13, 1898.

The history of Klaasville goes back to 1856, when a
number of German families settled here, who, from 1856 to
1860, attended the church at St. John, about eight miles from
Klaasville. The first church was a common, frame building
with very common seats, which cost about $500. It was built
in 1860 to 1861, and was dedicated, by Bishop Luers, Father
Nigh having charge at the time. At this time the congrega-
tion numbered about fourteen families, or sixty souls. In
1878, Father Bathe built an addition to the church and the
steeple, at a cost of |700. The seating capacity of the church
is about 200. The church grounds comprise five and one-half
acres of ground, four of which were donated in 1860, by the
Klaas brothers. The place is named after Henry Klaas.

The first priest's house was erected in 1866, by Father
Renson, and cost about |800. The present priest's house was
bought by Father Bathe, in 1878, for |1,125, having one and
a half acres of ground with it. This house was repaired in 1901,
for $220. The first priest's house has been occupied by the
teachers of the district school, for many years. Though the
school is a public school, the priest has free access, the popula-

288 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

tion being almost exclusively Catholic. The church property
is free from debt. The parish has thirty families, numbering
150 souls. Five girls of the parish have become Sisters.

From 1877 to 1896, Lowell was attended from Klaasville.
From 1869 till 1877, Klaasville was attended from Hanover
Centre. From 1860 till 1886, the pastors of Klaasville resided
with Henry Klaas.

The Young Ladies' Sodality was established in March
1882; St. Aloysius Young Men's Society in June, of the same
year; and the Altar Society was organized, in 1873.

KOKOMO.

ST. Patrick's church.
1860.

Kokomo was named after an Indian chief, and signifies
poplar, in the Indian tongue. The town was laid out, in 1844,
and consisted of forty acres of land. We give here a list of
the priests, who have served the Catholic people at Kokomo,
as far back as 1850. Other priests may have visited the place,
or rather this region of country, but there is no record to that
effect. The names are: Of those who visited Kokomo when
a station. Rev. D. Maloney, Rev. William Doyle. Priests who
visited Kokomo when a mission, from 1859 till September
1869, Rev. George Hamilton, Rev. B. J. Force, Rev. Bernard
Kroeger, Rev. Michael Hanley, Rev. B. T. Borg, Rev. Simon
Siegrist, Rev. C. Mougin, Rev. Lawrence Lamoor, Rev. J.
Kelly. The resident pastors: Rev. Patrick Frawley, from Sep-
tember 1869 till October 1871; Rev. J. H. O'Brien, from Octo-
ber 1871 till June 1872; Rev. John Grogan, from June 1872 to
September 1873; Rev. Francis Lordemann, since September
1873.

On January 24, 1859, two lots were secured and in the
year following Father Hamilton erected the first church, a
small, frame building but sufficient for the time. A sacristy
was added to this building by Father Frawley. The congre-
gation, at this time, comprised about forty famihes. In 1874,
Father Lordemann built the parochial residence, still in use.

The Churches, Continued. 289

In 1875, he bought the lot north of his residence. The old
church, having become entirely inadequate, was removed to
an adjoining lot and, in its place, was erected a brick church,
56x115 feet, with a seating capacity of 700. It was dedicated
by Bishop Dwenger, in 1877. Its cost was about $20,000. In
1900, two lots on Fremont street, were secured for Si, 600.
In 1903, the parochial residence was improved and enlarged,
was equipped with a steam heating apparatus, and newly
furnished throughout, at an expense of about |4,000.

The first school was organized, in 1874, when part of the
church was partitioned off, and used for school purposes, with
an attendance of about thirty-five pupils. In 1877, the old
church building was fitted up for school, accommodating 130
pupils. The attendance at this time was sixty. But, to
accommodate the increasing number of children, a new school
building was erected, in 1893, and was dedicated by Bishop
Rademacher. It is a two-story brick building, 40x65 feet,
costing about $11,000. The attendance had increased to 160.
In October, 1904, an addition consisting of a Sisters' residence
and a basement costing $3,500, was added to the school building,
now known as St. Francis' Academy. The Sisters of St.
Joseph have charge of the school, the usual eight grades and
high school are taught. There is no debt on the church prop-
erty at present. The church which has served its purpose so
well, is found inadequate to accommodate the Catholic popu-
lation of Kokomo. Father Lordemann has begun the erection
of a new church, which will be 150 feet long, 64 feet wide in the
nave, and 84 feet in the transept. A basement 12 feet high is
under the entire building. It is to be of Bedford stone and of
Gothic architecture. The height of the main tower is 175 feet,
and that of the north tower 130 feet. When completed it
will have cost $75,000.

St. Patrick's Congregation has these societies: The Cath-
olic Benevolent Legion, since 1882; the Ancient Order of Hiber-
nians; the Rosary Society, since 1862, which during its existence
has furnished the church with a bell, two side altars, three
statues, baptismal font, vestments, etc.; the Young Ladies'
Sodality, since 1871, which furnished the main altar and many
of its ornaments; the League of the Sacred Heart, since 1900;
the Kokomo Zouaves, composed of boys of the congregation

290 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

under twenty years of age, organized in 1899, which won the
prize of a gold medal at a competitive drill at Elwood, on July
4, 1900; the Knights of Columbus, since 1902, with a member-
ship of 125. Two boys of St. Patrick's are studying for the
priesthood, and five girls have entered religious communities.
The parish has 189 families, numbering 825 souls. Four
Sisters of St. Joseph have charge of the school, attended by
208 pupils.

St. Michael's Church, at Bunker Hill, in Miami county,
is visited by Father Lordemann three or four times a year.

JAY COUNTY.

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH.
1861.

Holy Trinity church is located in Wabash township, Jay
county. In the year 1854, on August 24, Rev. Wihbald Wilh,
C. PP. S., accompanied by two Brothers and four Sisters of
the Precious Blood Community, came to these parts and on
240 acres of land built several log houses and a log chapel, as
the establishment of a new mission house of the Community
of the Most Precious Blood. For the first ten years the small
band consisted of one priest, five Brothers and twenty Sisters.
The entire Catholic population of Wabash township, at this
time, consisted of three famihes. In the year 1861, Rev.
Rochus Schueley, C. PP. S., erected Holy Trinity Church. It
was a log house rather than a church, 27x40 feet, with a seating
capacity of about 100, costing in money |100. At this time
the congregation numbered about forty souls. Holy Trinity
Church is about one mile distant from the mission house, and
convent chapel of the Community.

The priests in charge of the parish were the following:
Rev. Rochus Schueley, C. PP. S., from 1862 till 1864; Rev.
Engelbert Ruflf, C. PP. S., from 1864 till 1866; Rev. Jacob
Ringele, C. PP. S., from 1866 to 1869; Rev. Peter Capeder,
C. PP. S., from 1869 till 1871; Rev. Paul Reuter, C. PP. S.,
from 1871 till 1876; Rev. George Fleisch, C. PP. S., from
1876 till 1877; Rev. Fehx Graf, C. PP. S., from 1877 till 1878;
Rev. Joseph Uphaus, C. PP. S., from 1878 till 1888; Rev.
John Nageleisen, C. PP. S., from 1888 till 1892; Rev. George

The Churches, Continued. 291

Fleisch, C. PP. S., from 1892 till. 1898; Rev. Anthony Dick,
C. PP. S., from 1898 till 1901; Rev. Julius Heifner, C. PP. S.,
from 1901 till 1906; Rev. Seraphine Kunkler, C. PP. S., since
1906.

As to nationality Holy Trinity parish is German. The
church property consists of four acres of land, donated by
P. Didion. The old log church is no more and in its place
stands now a stately brick church, 130x50 feet. It was built
by Father Uphaus, at a cost of $18,000. The seating capacity
is 600, and the style of architecture is Gothic. The steeple
is 100 feet high. At the time the church was built, the congre-
gation numbered sixty families.

The school, built in 1880 by the same Father, at a cost of
|500, is 24x24 feet, with accommodations for 100 pupils. Two
Sisters of the Most Precious Blood teach the school, attended
by sixty-six children. The parish church has no priest's house,
the pastor residing at the mission house; nor has it a residence
for the Sisters, the Sisters residing in their convent. The
church property has a debt of $200. The number of souls at
the present time is 350, consisting of seventy families. Five
boys of the parish have become priests C. PP. S., and three
girls have entered the convent.

Holy Trinity has St. Joseph's Society, for married men,
forty members; the Christian Mothers', for married women,
thirty-six members; St. John's Society, for single men, forty-
two members; St. Rose's Society, for single women, thirty-five
members; the Children of Mary, thirteen members, and the
Holy Childhood, fifty-five members.

ATTICA.

ST. FRANCIS XAVIER'S CHURCH.

1862.

The construction of the Wabash railroad and bridge across
the river, in 1850 and 1851, brought a number of Catholic
families to Attica. Rev. Michael Clark and later, Rev. Edward
O'Flaherty, attended them making their home with James
Sheridan and celebrating Mass in private houses or public
halls. At the time, there were about twenty-five Catholic
families in and around Attica. Many members of the congre-

292 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

gation are descendants of the pioneers of those days. Powers'
will bequeathed two lots and |600 for the erection of a church.
These lots, located near the Wabash depot, were exchanged
for one lot on Perry street, near Monroe. During Father
O' Flaherty's absence to the old country, Rev. F. Joseph
Stephan collected an additional |600 and erected a frame
church, in 1862. At the suggestion of Bishop Luers, a second
lot was bought for |300, on which stood a house used later for
a priest's house.

It was in 1863, that Attica received its first resident
pastor, in the person of Rev. Joseph Rademacher, who also
attended Covington and the entire country, east and west,
from Odell to the Illinois State Line. He found the church
and house devoid of every convenience. The pews in the
church were rough boards and store boxes. He procured pews,
an altar and a little reed organ. In 1865, he prepared a class
and admitted them to their first Holy Communion, in May.
On this occasion. Bishop Luers also administered Confirma-
tion. The congregation was small, and poor, and Father
Rademacher submitted without complaint, to many priva-
tions and hardships. In the year 1870, Rev. John Bleckmann
succeeded Father Rademacher. He bought the cemetery
grounds. The most necessary repairs and improvements on
the priest's house were made by him. He also built an addition
to the church, in which a Catholic school was taught for a while,
but for a lack of funds had to be discontinued.

Father Bleckmann was succeeded by Rev. Thomas Cahill,
whose successor, in May 1875, was Rev. Dominic Meier, O. F. M.
He resided at Lafayette, attending Attica from there, and
receiving |300 per annum, and railroad fare, for his services.
The Rev. John A. Mark was appointed pastor at Attica in
April, 1876, and was succeeded by Rev. Henry M. Plaster in
January, 1880. In that year Covington was made an inde-
pendent congregation. Father Plaster preferring it to Attica,
Rev. Charles Lemper was sent to Attica in August, of the
same year. The first ten years of Father Lemper's pastorate,
were productive of an iron fence around the cemetery, an
addition to the priest's house and other necessary improvements.
The building of a new church was determined on, in 1890. All
the stone for the foundation were donated and the farmers

^The Churches, Continued. 293

did the hauling. A member of the parish burnt the brick on
his place, and boarded the laborers, whilst the congregation
paid their wages, and the farmers again did the hauling of
brick, sand and other material. The church was dedicated by
Bishop Rademacher, of Nashville, on June 21, 1891.

In 1895, Father Lemper built the present priest's house.
In the same year Father Lemper arranged the addition to the
old church for a dwelling for the Sisters, and having parti-
tioned the old church into two school-rooms, he reopened the
parochial school. On account of inadequate school accom-
modations, as well as accommodations for the Sisters, and the
greatly reduced number of children attending, the school was
abandoned, some seven or eight years later. When Father
Lemper left the parish, there was a debt of $2,541.83. Father
Lemper secured assistance from far and near, outside of the parish.

Rev. A. Henneberger was appointed the pastor at Attica,
in July 1898. He enjoyed poor health, but hoped to be bene-
fitted by this change; the change, however, did not benefit
him, on the contrary his health grew steadily worse. He was
removed, and on May 5, 1899 the present pastor Rev. F. Von
Schwedler took charge of the parish. At the present time
there is no debt on the church property. The number of souls
is steadily increasing and a larger church will have to be pro-
vided in the near future. The congregation has ninety-two
families, numbering 394 souls. The parish has an Altar Society,
for married women, with forty-seven members, an Altar Society,
for single women, with twenty members and the Catholic
Foresters.

OXFORD.

ST. Patrick's church.

1863.

The Rev. Joseph Stephan, it would seem, was the first to
visit the Catholics of Oxford and surroundings. He was at
the time visiting many other places. He said Mass, at Oxford,
in the Court house, public school house and in various private
Houses, and was in the habit of coming here from 1860 till
1863. Until 1867 Rev. E. B. Kilroy attended here. It was
he who laid the foundation for the present church, in the year

294 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

1863, There being no railroad transportation in those days,
building material had to be hauled a long distance, and required
much time. The church however was put under roof. Father
Stephan still calling occasionally, and also Rev. C. J. O'Calla-
ghan. The latter was the first resident pastor at Oxford. The
baptismal records begin with July 1867. In 1870 Father
O'Callaghan was succeeded by Rev. John R. Dinnen, during
whose pastorate, the church was plastered, and some old pews
and furniture obtained from Lafayette. The dimensions of
the church are 76x36 feet, with an elevation of 25 feet. The
probable cost of the church was |6,000. The congregation,
at that time, numbering about 175 souls, was larger than it is
now. The church grounds consist of four acres of land. Father
Dinnen remained until October, 1875, and was succeeded by
Rev. Meinrad McCarthy, O. S. B., after whom came Rev. John
F. Lang from October 1877 till April 1882. Rev. P. J. Crosson
was pastor until September 1894, Rev. Julius Becks until June
1895, when the Rev. William C. Miller was sent here and
remained until October 6, 1906. The Rev. F. X. Labonte had
charge from October 30, 1906 till March 21, 1907. It is re-
lated of Father McCarthy that on a Christmas day he celebrated
the first Mass in St. Bridget's Church (Barrydale), rode his
little pony to Fowler, where he said the second Mass, and then
rode to Oxford to celebrate the third Mass. The church was
repaired and refurnished by Father Miller, who put in new
stained glass windows, in 1896, and repaired the whole building
in 1904, arching the ceiling, frescoing the interior, redecorating
and painting the altars, pews etc., at a total cost of |3,500.
The congregation has only twenty-eight families, or 113 souls,
and has no debt on its church property.

The first priest's house was a small cottage, built by
Father Dinnen, for about |800. It was remodeled and refur-
nished at a cost of |1,350 by Father Miller. The Altar Society,
with thirty members, takes care of the altar and sanctuary,
and supplies its wants, such as candles, oil, linens, etc. One
girl of the parish became a Sister of Providence.

Oxford was supplied by the Rev. J. R. Dinnen from
March 21, 1907, the date on which Father Labonte died, until
June 8, 1907, when St. Patrick's Church again received a resident
pastor, in the person of Rev. H. C. Kappel.

The Churches, Continued. 295

PLYMOUTH.

ST. Michael's church.

1863.

The treaty of the United States with the Indians, in 1832,
assigned as their reserve to the Pottawottamies, a region of
country to the southwest of Plymouth, its northeastern corner
being near the western border of the town. The Pottawot-
tamies were Catholics, and a good sized chapel, built of logs,
occupied a site on the north bank of one of the Twin Lakes.
The building has long since disappeared. Prior to 1842, the
early missionaries such as Fathers Allouez, Aveneau and other
Jesuit Fathers, as well as Father Badin, visited these regions.
From 1842, however, the Fathers, of the Congregation of the
Holy Cross, attended to the spiritual wants of these Indians
and the early Catholic settlers, in Marshall county. In 1838,
Father Petit, at the earnest entreaty of the officers of United
States mihtary forces, conducted the Indians from their reser-
vation to their new home, in the west.

The history of the present St. Michael's Congregation
dates back to 1856, when on December 19th, three lots were
bought on which now stand the church, the priest's house and
the school. The total cost of the three lots was |500. The
first resident pastor was Rev. Gabriel Volkert, from 1862 to
1864. St. Michael's Church was built in 1863, and was dedi-
cated by Bishop Luers, in September of that year. Rev.
George Steiner was pastor from 1864 to 1866. After him came
Rev. Francis Siegelack, from 1866 to 1869. He organized the
St. Boniface's Benevolent Society. The Rev. George Zur-
wellen took charge of the parish, in October 1869, and remained
till the time of his death, February 5, 1883. A school had been
in operation since 1861, taught by lay-teachers. The building
was a long building with a boarded partition, which separated
the school from the stable. When Father Zurwellen began
his work, the school and stable combination was removed to
the back part of the lot, on which the pastoral residence stands
today, and the priest's house was removed from the extreme
south to its present location. A brick school-house, costing
$12,000, known today as St. Michael's Academy, was erected
in 1870. About this time a bell was bought.

296 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

On November 20, 1872, the three lots opposite the church
were bought. These lots front to the north, and the present
St. Joseph's Hall is situated on one of them, lot 67. The first
cemetery of St. Michael's Congregation was one acre of ground,
donated by John Hughes, and was used until 1871; when the
city of Plymouth gave the Catholics the privilege of using a
portion of Oak Hill cemetery. This continued until April 15,
1875, when Father Zurwellen secured the four acres of ground,
which are used today for burials. The Rev. Louis A. Moench
was the resident pastor, from February 6, 1883 until July 26,
1898. The debt of |5,000 was paid by him, the pastoral resi-
dence was built at a cost of |1,200, the church was frescoed
for |660, beautiful new altars were provided, St. Joseph's Hall
was built, at a cost of $1,300, stained glass windows were placed
in the church, a new iron fence was built and sidewalks put
down. The delivery from church debt was duly celebrated on
February 18, 1890. Succeeding Father Moench the following
were the pastors here: Rev. Charles Lemper, from 1898 till
his death on December 13, 1900; Rev. Peter Schmitt, from
July 1900, during the illness and after the death of Father
Lemper, till March 1, 1901; Rev. Simon M. Yenn, from March
1, 1901 till July 1, 1905; Rev. Henry C. Kappel, from July 1,
till September 1, 1905; Rev. John Tremmel since September 1,
1905. Father Yenn made many necessary repairs and im-
provements on the entire church property, including the
grounds. Three acres of the cemetery, consisting of six acres,
also received much needed attention from Father Yenn. At
the time of his removal the fund for a new church had accumu-
lated the handsome amount of $9,000. During this time the
Sisters of the Holy Cross enlarged their Academy, which serves
also for parochial school, twice; it being now a commodious
structure of three-stories and basement, running back from
street to alley. Center street was improved during the pas-
torate of Father Tremmel. At the present time the fund for
a new church amounts to $9,616.13.

Plymouth has 114 Catholic families, numbering 518 souls.
The parochial school, in connection with the academy, having
an attendance of ninety-eight pupils, is conducted by four
Sisters of the Holy Cross. The church societies are: The
Rosary Society, with ninety-five members; the Sacred Heart

The Churches, Continued. 297

Sodality, with sixty-seven; and the Children of Mary, with
thirty-four members. Other associations are, the St. Boniface,
the Benefit Association of Our Lady of Loretto, and the St.
Vincent de Paul Aid Society.

EGE.

CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.
1864.

When Ege was visited for the first time, in 1856, as a
station, by Rev. Francis Deschamp, it was called Girardot
Settlement. It was in 1853, that Gabriel Girardot emigrated
from France and settled on a farm, where Ege is now located.
When Father Deschamp visited the place, he found nine
families in that neighborhood. The Rev. Henry Vincent
Schaefer, pastor at Avilla, visited Ege as a station, and in 1863
the first church, 25x40 feet, was built. In July, of that year,
Bishop Luers and Father Benoit celebrated Mass in the un-
finished church — they were at the time prospecting for a loca-
tion, where to build the diocesan orphan asylum. Gabriel
Girardot had preceded his family to this country and had made
a vow that he would build a church if he would see his family
in the New World. He donated two acres of land, where the
cemetery now is, and there he constructed a church and made
most of the furniture with his own hands. In consequence,
the church was a long time building, and was not finished until
May, 1864. When completed, the little frame church was
valued at |1,000. After Father Schsefer, the pastors of Avilla
had charge of Ege as a mission; namely: Rev. Francis Deipen-
brock, 1863; Rev. John Wemhoflf, from December 1863 till
December 1865; Rev. A. B. Oechtering, from December 1865
till May 12, 1867; and Rev. Dominic Duehmig, from May 12,
1867 till 1876. During this time, the Fathers of the Holy
Cross would frequently relieve the pastors of Avilla, by attend-
ing the mission Ege. In 1875, Father Duehmig purchased four
acres of land, at a short distance from the church westward,
where two roads cross and there put up a more spacious frame
church, 35x90 feet, with a seating capacity of 260. The old
church was moved to the new place and an addition was made
to it; after which it served the various purposes of a school-

298 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

house, of a teacher's residence, and of a priest's house, until
1885. The Sisters of St. Francis, of JoHet, took charge of the
school, in 1879.

The Rev. WilHam Geers was the first resident pastor of
Ege, in 1876, and was succeeded by the Rev. Peter Franzen,
from February 1877 until October 1878. After him came
Rev. F. X. Ege, from October 1878 until November 1897. He
found the church property indebted to the amount of |3,500.
In 1885, the old church burned down, insured for $500. Father
Ege thereafter erected a two-story brick building, 30x65 feet,
the lower front room accommodating sixty pupils, and the
upper front room being used for parish meetings and enter-
tainments, until January 1898, when it too was used for school
purposes. The other parts of this building serve the Sisters
for a residence of six rooms. In 1878, Father Ege erected a
handsome two-story, ten room priest's house, at a cost of $3,000.

The present pastor. Rev. Francis P. Faust, took charge
of the parish in November, 1897. He found that the parish
had a debt of only $300. He has made various improvements
and many repairs, with several purchases, amounting to fully
$2,500, and there is a debt of $243 on the church property.
The church grounds proper comprise four acres; and the two
acres of the old church is now used for burial purposes. Two
members of the parish have become Franciscan Brothers and
five have become Sisters. The number of souls is 408, consist-
ing of seventy-five families.

St. Mary's Society, for married women, has forty members;
St. Rose's, for single women, thirty; and the Apostleship of
Prayer, ninety members.

KENTLAND.

ST. Joseph's church.

1864.

The Rev. George A. Hamilton visited Kentland and
vicinity, from 1861 to 1864, from Logansport. After him, it
was attended from Rensselaer by Rev. Joseph A. Stephan,
until 1870. He visited the place once a month, celebrating
Mass in the Court House or in Kent's hotel, boarding with
John H. Schmitt, a mile and three-quarters from Kentland.

The Churches, Continued. 299

The Catholics numbered about fifteen famiUes, Irish, German
and French, within a radius of twelve miles. In 1864 Father
Stephan erected the first church, a frame structure, 24x40 feet.

The grounds, on which the church, priest's house, the
school and the teachers' house stand, have a frontage of about
360 feet, with a depth of 150 feet. Opposite this ground the
church owns two acres, just outside the corporation of Kentland.
The cemetery has five acres, one mile south of the church.
These grounds were secured during the pastorates of Revs.
J. Stephan, A. Messmann, and W. C. Miller.

The first resident pastor was the Rev. Anthony Messmann,
from 1870 to 1881. He resided with the above mentioned
John H. Schmitt until 1872, when the priest's house was built.
He added 30 feet to the church, to gain more room. Rev.
F. X. Baumgartner added a sacristy, 28x14 feet, built a tower
and supplied it with a bell. Father Baumgartner was pastor
from 1881 to March 1883. After him came Rev. William C.
Miller, from March 1883 to September 1891. Father Miller
built the present church, in 1888. It is a brick building,
100x45 feet and 24 feet in height. It has stained glass windows
of Roman style; the ceiling is flat. The Main Altar of the old
church was transferred to the new church, and two neat side
altars and two confessionals were provided. The cost of this
church was |9,000. It has a seating capacity of 400.

Rev. Charles A. Ganzer was pastor from September 1891
to December 10, 1902. He renovated the church and made
necessary repairs, giving the church a new roof and purchasing
a beautiful Main Altar. The church was also frescoed and
electric lighting provided, another bell was procured, a new
way of the Cross secured, a new pipe organ and a steam heating
plant installed. The present pastor. Rev. Charles V. Stetter,
D. D., holding that position since February 13, 1903, enriched
the sanctuary for Christmas, 1905, with an artistic crib.

Father Messmann started a school in 1872, but it had to
be discontinued. The school was a frame building, 44x18
feet. In 1885, Father Miller reopened the school. It was
taught by lay teachers till 1887, when the Sisters of St. Francis
took charge. In 1888, Father Miller remodeled the old church
into a two-room school-house. The old school building and
the sacristy of the old church were made into a residence for

300 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

the Sisters. Father Stetter built a porch to it. The dimensions
of the school are 40x70 feet, accommodating ninety children.
The eight grades are taught. Two Sisters have charge of
ninety-five pupils at present.

The priest's house, built in 1872 by Father Messmann, is
a nine room two-story brick structure. It was Father Miller,
who finished the entire house and furnished it more completely.
Father Stetter also has done something in that direction. The
church property has a debt of |2, 11 9.98. The number of souls
is 540, consisting of 106 families. One boy of Kentland has
become a priest and ten girls Sisters. St. Anthony's, Goodland
and Remington were attended from Kentland, for some time.

The following priests had charge of Kentland: Rev.
George A. Hamilton, from Logansport, and perhaps others,
from 1861 till 1864; Rev. Joseph A. Stephan, from Rensselaer,
from 1864 till April 1, 1870; Rev. Anthony Messmann, pastor
from April 1, 1870 till December 19, 1880; Rev. F. X. Baum-
gartner, from December 19, 1880 till March 27, 1883; Rev.
WilHam C. Miller, from March 31, 1883 till August 30, 1891;
Rev. Charles A. Ganzer, from August 30, 1891 to December 10,
1902; Rev. Charles Meyer, C. PP. S., Rev. Frederick Schalk,
C. PP. S., and Rev. Virgilius Krull, C. PP. S., from December
10, 1902 till February 13, 1903; Rev. Charles V. Stetter, D. D.,
since February 13, 1903.

The following societies are found here: The Cemetery
Association with eighty members; the Rosary Society, for
married women, since 1884, with seventy-nine members; the
Sodality of the Sacred Heart for single women, with sixty-one
members; the St. Aloysius' Society for young men, with forty
members; the Catholic Benevolent Legion and the Catholic
Order of Foresters.

WABASH.

ST. Bernard's church.
1864.

The first priest on record at Wabash, is Rev. John Ryan,
who residing at Lagro occasionally attended Wabash, from
1862 to September 1865. He celebrated Mass at the homes
of Patrick Ivory and others. At this time the number of souls

The Churches, Coniinued. 301

was thirty-five, Irish and German. The foundation for the
new church was put down, in 1864, by Father Ryan, and the
building was begun by Rev. B. Kroeger, and completed during
the pastorates of Rev. George Steiner, and Rev. M. E. Campion,
the latter two residing at Lagro. The building cost about
|2,000, and the number of souls at this time was about forty.
A lot, donated by Patrick Dwyer 66x132, was given in trade
for two lots making the grounds 132x132 feet. This business
was transacted by Father Ryan. The church built in 1864
was a brick building, 30x60 feet, to which Rev. P. J. Crosson
added sixteen feet, in 1898. The same had the interior deco-
rated and put in electric lights, at a cost of |700. The seating
capacity of this church was 250. A frame school-house, 20x30
feet costing $800, was built by Rev. F. C. Wiechmann in 1877,
but the school had to be discontinued after the first year, for
want of support. The first priest's house was located on the
corner of Maple and Comstock streets, a half block west of the
church; but in 1888, Rev. John H. Bathe built a new house on
the corner of Minor and Fisher streets and adjacent to the
church, at a cost of about |1,700; and in 1898, Rev. P. J.
Crosson enlarged it, at an expenditure of about $500.

The described church property was exchanged by Rev.
Robert J. Pratt, for a church and house, ov/ned by the Metho-
dists, on the northeast corner of Sinclair and Cass streets. This
church is a two-story brick building, the second story used
for church purposes has a seating capacity of 500. The house,
adjacent to this church, which is the present priest's residence,
is a commodious two-story brick building. The Methodist
people had expended fully $22,000 on these buildings. The
church and house have a frontage of 96 feet on Sinclair street
and 123 feet on Cass street. St. Bernard's Congregation
secured this property, in exchange for their church and house,
by paying a cash difference of $5,500. This business was
transacted on April 17, 1900, and, on the same day, two lots
264x264 feet, with a large brick residence, just back of the
church property were bought, with the intention of using it
for school purposes at some future time. This last purchase
cost the congregation $4,000 in cash, and the first priest's
house on Comstock and Maple streets, valued at $1,500. The
church was remodeled, and $3,500 was spent in doing this;

302 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

besides furnishing the church with altars, confessionals, sacred
vessels and also putting in a heating system. The Very Rev.
J. H. Guendling, Administrator of the diocese, dedicated the
building on September 23, 1900, the Rev. D. H. Clark, of
Columbus, Ohio, preaching the sermon. The church has a
debt of |2,900.

St. Bernard's Church has the Confraternity for the Poor
Souls, since 1889; the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin, since
1898; the Young Ladies' Sodality, since 1900; the Catholic
Knights of America, since 1885; the Lady Foresters since 1899.
The congregation numbers 403 souls, or 102 families. Two
girls of the parish have entered the religious state of life.

The visiting pastors of the parish have been: Rev. John
Ryan, Lagro, 1862 till September 1865; Rev. B. Kroeger, Peru,
September 1865 till December 1866; Rev. George Steiner,
Lagro, December 1866 till July 1868; Rev. M. E. Campion,
Lagro, August 1868 to 1871. The resident pastors were:
Rev. F. C. Wiechmann, from February 1871 till October 1879;
Rev. M. M. Hallinan, D. D., from November 1879 till Novem-
ber 1881; Rev. John H. Bathe, from December 1881 to May
1898; Rev. P. J. Crosson, from May 1898 to January 30, 1900;
Rev. Robert J. Pratt, since January 30, 1900.

FORT WAYNE.

ST. Paul's church.

1865.

The Catholics of the northwestern part of Fort Wayne,
anxious to improve their church accommodations, took steps
to form a new congregation. A meeting representing the
thirty-five families of this district was held, on November 15,
1863. Bishop Luers approved the intention of these Catholics
to build a church, and gave his consent to the purchase of a
building site. A number of other meetings were held to accom-
plish the end in view. Some opposition, however, was experi-
enced on the part of Rev. Joseph Weutz, then pastor of St.
Mary's Church. Bishop Luers explained later, that the oppo-
sition arose from a misunderstanding. Finally, on February
2, 1865, property was bought on the southeast corner of Griffith
street (now Fairfield avenue) and Washington boulevard, at a

The Churches, Continued. 303

cost of |3,500 from George W. Ewing; ten years' time was
given to pay the price. A frame church, 75 feet long and 37
feet wide, was erected at a cost of $3,700. A unique method
of securing funds was resorted to, by renting the pews of the
church not yet built. The church was dedicated, by Bishop
Luers, on the first Sunday in October, 1865. On December
16, 1865, Bishop Luers gave St. Paul's Church their first pastor,
in the person of Rev. Edward Koenig; the Bishop himself
introducing Father Koenig to the congregation.

Father Koenig at once organized a School Society and an
Altar Society. The Bishop fixed the 25th of January of each
year, the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, as the patron
feast of the Church. Already on January 19, 1866, the zealous
pastor opened the parochial school, with Louis Weiser as the
first teacher and an attendance of sixty-eight children.

Two additional lots were bought on January 28, 1866, for
|5,000. During Lent, of the same year, the Rosary Society
was established, and on March 25th, the Confraternity of the
Scapular of Mount Carmel. Still another lot was bought in
July 1866 for 1 1,400. Louis Weiser, the first teacher, went to
the seminary and Peter Mettler succeeded him as teacher.
In September 1867, the boys and girls began to be taught in
separate school-rooms: Clementine Koenig, sister of Father
Koenig, teaching the girls. The frame school building having
become entirely inadequate, a brick school-house was erected
at a cost of |3,308, and in September 1868 the same was ready
for occupancy. The same building is used for school purposes
at the present time. When in 1868, Franciscan Fathers gave
a Mission, the Young Men's Sodality, under the patronage of
St. Anthony of Padua, and the Young Ladies' Sodality, under
that of St. Agnes, were established on September 21st.

The church property is made up of 92x150 feet on the
southeast corner, and of 127^x150 feet, on the northeast corner
of Washington boulevard and Fairfield avenue; and of 48x150
feet on Washington boulevard; the latter was bought in 1903
and is now used as the priest's house. The cost of the residence
and property was |1 1,500. The first property was bought
before a priest had charge, Father Koenig bought the second,
and the present pastor the last mentioned.

The present church was erected by Father Koenig in 1886,

304 The Diocese of Fort IVayne.

at a cost of about $55,000. It was built in the Roman style
of architecture. The furniture is all solid oak. The seating
capacity is about 600. On January 22, 1898, Father Koenig,
after thirty-three years of arduous pastoral work, was called
to his reward.

Bishop Rademacher appointed Rev. H. F. Joseph Kroll,
to succeed Father Koenig, on February 21, 1898. The new
pastor found a debt of $17,000 on the church property. A
number of improvements had become necessary, which received
immediate attention by Father Kroll. It was he who bought
the present priest's house for $11,500 and converted the former
pastoral residence on Fairfield avenue into a school; this resi-
dence had been erected by Father Koenig in 1881 at a cost of
$6,586. The school can accommodate about 150 children.
At the present time four Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ have
charge of the school. The school is well graded, eight grades
being taught. The school is supported by St. Paul's School
Society. At present 101 children are in attendance at school.

Three boys of the parish have become priests and one boy
is now at his studies. Nine girls have become Sisters.

The parish has 148 families and the total number of souls
is 675. The societies are: The School Society, 110 members;
the Altar and Rosary Society, for married women, 1 10 members ;
St. Anthony's Sodality, for single men, thirty-five members;
St. Agnes' Sodality, for single women, sixty-five members;
the Boys' Sodality, thirty-four members; the Girls' Sodality,
forty-two members; the Purgatorian Society, fifty members;
the Scapular Confraternity, 150 members; the Sacred Heart
League, 250 members, and the St. Joseph's Benevolent League,
with sixty-one members.

COVINGTON.

ST. Joseph's church.

1865.

The succession of priests, who cared for the spiritual
welfare of Catholics in Covington and vicinity, were: Rev.
Edward O' Flaherty, prior to 1859; Rev. Joseph Stephan, from

The Churches, Continued. 305

1859 till 1863; Rev. Joseph Radenjacher, from 1863 till 1870;
Rev. John Bleckmann, from 1870 till 1875; Rev. Thomas
Cahill, from 1875 till 1876; Rev. John A. Mark, from 1876 till
1880; Rev. H. M. Plaster, from 1880 till August 15, 1885, first
resident pastor; Revs. King, Lentz, Lemper, from 1885 till
1891; Rev. John Tremmel, from August 1891 till September 1,
1905; Rev. Peter Schmitt, since September 13, 1905.

Father O' Flaherty attended Covington from Crawfords-
ville. The number of souls in 1859 was about 350, or sixty
families, of Irish nationality. Father Stephan laid the founda-
tion of the church in 1860, and Father Rademacher completed
it in 1865. Bishop Luers dedicated the building in October,
1867. The dimensions of this church were 30x60 feet, and the
cost was |6,000. The church grounds consist of two lots and
ten feet, donated by a Mr. Daly, during Father O' Flaherty's
time. The church is a brick structure, but in 1875 a frame
addition was made to the rear of it, during Father Bleckmann's
pastorate. For a short time this addition was used for a school ;
the cost of it was about |650. The priest's house was built by
Father Plaster, at a cost of about $2,400. The debt on the
church property at the present time is $300. The mission,
Veedersburg, is attended from Covington on two Sundays of
the month.

At the present time the number of families is fifty-one.
The Rosary Society has fifty-three members. The men of the
parish belong to Catholic Knights of America, Catholic Fores-
ters, or Knights of Columbus.

LEBANON.

ST. Joseph's church.
1865,

This church, in its earliest days, was called St. Charles',
later St. Joachim's, and since 1901 St. Joseph's Church. It
was attended as a station, as early as 1862, when priests visited
here from Lafayette, such as Rev. E. B. Kilroy and others.
The Catholic population, at that time, was about sixty-five

306 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

souls. The first church was a building formerly used as a
residence and then remodeled for a church, in about 1865, by
Rev. Joseph A. Winter who continued to attend till 1870.
Rev. John R. Dinnen visited the place, from 1871 till 1874. The
following were the resident pastors of Lebanon: Rev. Thomas
M. Cahill, from the beginning of 1874 till May 1875; Rev. John
Ryan, from May 1875 till December 1878; Rev. L. A. Moench,
from 1879 till 1882; Rev. John Dempsey, from 1882 till Sep-
tember 1884; Rev. D. J. Mulcahy, from 1884 till the fall of
1886; Rev. Michael F. Kelly, from the fall of 1886 till 1893;
Rev. H. A. Hellhake, from 1893 till August 1898; Rev. W. S.
Hogan, from August 1898 till 1899; Rev. P. J. Crawley, from
June 1899 till July 1905; Rev. James Connelly, since July 1,
1905.

The first building used for church, bought by Father
Winters, was located within a half square of the Court House.
At that time the population was from eighty to ninety souls.
Father Ryan was the pastor, in 1876, when the present church
grounds were secured. He sold the old place, and Father
Crawley, by another sale, reduced the church grounds to their
present dimensions. The second church was a building for-
merly occupied by the Christian denomination. It could seat
200 persons, and was bought by Father Winters for |300. This
continued to be used for the church until 1901, when the present
church was erected by Father Crawley. Its furnishings are
complete in every detail. The seating capacity is about 450,
and it cost |10,000.

The first priest's house was a story-and-a-half building,
bought by Father Dinnen for |200. It was sold with the first
church property. Father Ryan purchased a house for $300,
which Father Crawley repaired and improved at a cost of
$1,500; this being the present priest's house. The church
property has a debt of $2,000 on it. The number of souls at
present is 209, or fifty-one families. Two girls of the parish
have entered the convent.

St. Joseph's has Altar and Rosary Societies, organized
1894. They have the care of the altar and the sanctuary; the
Ancient Order of Hibernians, organized in 1896; also a Sodality
for boys and girls. The altar of the church was donated by
the Altar and Rosary Societies.

The Churches, Continued. 307

ARCOLA. .

ST. Patrick's church,
1866.

Early missionaries paid occasional visits to Areola and
vicinity; but, in the year 1866, Rev. P. J. Madden held regular
services in an old school-house. The building of a church was
inaugurated by him. The Rev. Henry Schaefer next attended
Areola from Columbia City. The Rev. Theodore Van der Poel
was Areola's first resident priest, arriving on Christmas eve
and celebrating Mass, as pastor of Areola, on Christmas day
1867. The frame church, begun in 1866 by Father Madden,
was a neat frame structure and completed by Father Van der
Poel, who also built the present priest's house. The Rev.
Theodore Wilken came next to Areola and built a fence around
the church property. Rev. Bartholomew Hartmann succeeded
Father Wilken in 1880. During his stay of seven years the
school-house was built. The congregation at this time, num-
bered about seventy families. Rev. Father Hiekmann came
next but only remained five or six weeks. Next came Rev.
J. H. Werdein, continuing his pastorate for about four years;
then Rev. William J. Quinlan was the pastor for two years,
till August 20, 1891; and after him Rev. William Conrad
Miller, who remained for a period of four years, till 1895.

The pastorate of Rev. Robert Pratt at Areola began June
29, 1895. It was he who induced the Poor Handmaids of
Jesus Christ to take charge of the parochial school. It was
during his pastorate also that a new brick church was built
in 1898. He also erected the Sisters' residence. Upon Father
Pratt's transfer to Wabash, January 30, 1900, the Rev. S. M.
Yenn succeeded him as pastor of St. Patrick's Church, contin-
uing in that capacity for thirteen months. In March, 1901,
the Rev. Peter Schmitt was appointed and remained until
September 13, 1905, when he was succeeded by Rev. Henry
C. Kappel. The present pastor is Rev. E. J. Mungovan, since
June 8, 1907.

St. Patrick's Parish has thirty-four families, numbering
180 souls. The school is attended by thirty-three pupils and
is taught by one Poor Handmaid of Jesus Christ. The Societies

308 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

of the parish are: The Rosary Society, for married women,
with seventeen members; the St. Aloysius' Society, for single
men, with thirteen members; the Children of Mary, for single
women, twenty-five members. There is no debt on the church
property. Pierceton is a mission attended from Areola on the
second Sunday and Monday of each month.

REYNOLDS.

ST. Joseph's church.

1866.

The country about Reynolds, less probably than a century
ago, was noted principally for its low lands covered with water,
sandy ridges appearing here and there, with scant vegetation.
But in the year 1856 the water had receded sufficiently, for a
dozen families or more, mostly Irish, to settle in this part of
the country. It was in this year that Rev. Joseph Stephan,
residing at San Pierre, began to visit the Reynolds settlement,
and celebrate Mass in the home of Michael Vogel.

The first church was erected from 1866 to 1867, at a cost
of about |975. The Rev. J. A. Winter, assistant priest at St.
Mary's Church, Lafayette, was in charge of Reynolds, at the
time the church was building. The ground on which it stands,
comprising seven and one half acres, was acquired in the year
1866. The seating capacity of this church was about 150.
Without much adornment it served its purpose until 1876,
when the second and present church was erected for about
|6,000 or |7,000, under the direction of Rev. Dominic Meier,
O. F. M., who attended Reynolds from Lafayette. The church
is built in the Roman style of architecture, and is a plain, brick
building, 64x96 feet, with a seating capacity of 475.

Several years after the church had been built, a frame
school-house, 20x40 feet, was erected at a cost of about |475.
The Sisters of St. Francis were in charge, residing in a small
frame house built by Rev. John McMahon, opposite the school-
house, in 1869. The school, however, after a number of years
was abandoned, and the Sisters left the place. Father McMahon
moved in the house, vacated by them, but lived in it only a

The Churches, Continued. 309

few days, when he departed this Hfe, on May 8, 1872. After
this until 1899, the pastors of Reynolds occupied the old church
for their residence.

Rev. John Kubacki, in the year 1899, built the first and
present pastoral residence, costing about $2,000. The church
property is free from all indebtedness. St. Joseph's Church
has the Rosary Society, a Young Ladies' Sodality, St. Joseph's
Aid Society and the Poor Souls' Confraternity, since 1905.
The number of souls in the parish is 282, or fifty-one families.
One of the girls of this parish has become a Sister of St. Francis.

The list of priests, having charge of St. Joseph's Church
at Reynolds, is the following in their chronological order of
succession: Rev. Joseph Stephan, in 1856; Rev. Joseph A.
Winter, 1866 and 1867; Rev. John McMahon, from 1867 till
May 8, 1872, when he died; Rev. Burns; Rev. Anthony King;
Rev. Anthony Messmann; Rev. Dominic Meier, O. F. M., in
1876; Rev. Ignatius M. Wilkens, O. F. M.; Rev. John B. Schroe-
der, O. F. M.; Rev. Augustine Beyer, O. F. M.; Rev. Peter
Welling, O. F. M.; Rev. Francis S. Schaefer, O. F. M.; Rev.
Matthias Zumbuelte, from April 1888 to June 1889; Rev. John
Berg, from June 1889 to June 8, 1893; Rev. George Schramm,
from June 8, 1893; Rev. John Blum, from December 24, 1895
to November 1, 1896; Rev. John Kubacki, from November 1,
1896 to August 6, 1900; Rev. George Horstmann, from August
6, 1900 to July 4, 1905; Rev. Julius Seimetz, since July 4, 1905.

The pastor of Reynolds also has charge of the missions,
Francisville and Medaryville.

DYER.

ST. Joseph's church.

1867.

The priests who had charge of St. Joseph's Church at Dyer
were the following: Prior to 1867, Rev. M. P. Wehrle, Turkey
Creek. The following were resident pastors: Rev. Jacob
Schmitz, from April 1867 till July 1870; Rev. B. Theodore
Borg, from July 1870 till September 1871; Rev. H. Meissner,
Crown Point, September till December 1871; Rev. Bernard

310 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Wiedau, from January till December 1872; Rev. Anthony
King, from December 1872 till April 1874; Rev. F. J. Freund,
from May 24, 1874 till August 1875; Rev. Charles Steurer,
from August 4, 1875 till January 30, 1878; Rev. Joseph Flach,
from March 5, 1878 till August 3, 1883; Rev. Charles V. Stetter,
D. D., from August 23, 1883 till July 29, 1888; Rev. Joseph
Flach, again, since July 29, 1888.

Prior to 1867, the Catholics of Dyer and vicinity were
visited by Father Wehrle of Turkey Creek; they were con-
sidered members of St. John's Congregation, at St. John. The
first church was a frame building, erected in 1867, by Father
Schmitz, the first resident pastor of Dyer. The church cost
from |4,000 to $5,000. The church grounds comprise about
four acres of land. In 1893, Father Flach improved the church
by replastering, frescoing, painting the building and putting in
stained glass windows, and in 1899, giving the church a base-
ment, with a chapel, all of which was done at a cost of $2,500.
The church, with its new altars and a pipe organ, was now in
very good condition; but on December 28, 1902, the entire
church and contents were destroyed by fire. Father Flach,
however, went to work and, on July 12, 1903, the corner-stone
of a new church was laid by Bishop Alerding. The present
church is a brick and cut stone Gothic structure, 118x43^ feet,
with a tower 125 feet high. The dedication took place on
November 26, 1903, the Rev. J. H. Bathe, officiating. The
entire cost of the church is $18,500. The seating capacity is
400.

The parochial school was opened in September 1901. The
building of which has been improved since, and a house for the
Sisters erected, for $1,600. Two Franciscan Sisters of the
Sacred Heart, of Joliet, have charge of the school, teaching
the usual grades. The attendance at school is eighty-seven.

The priest's house built in 1869 was moved, remodeled
and improved, including a new heating apparatus, for $1,700
in 1905. The church has a debt of $3,675. The number of
souls is 413, consisting of seventy-five families. Three girls
of the parish have become Sisters.

St. Joseph's Parish has the Society of the Holy Childhood,
since 1880; the Young Ladies' Sodality of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, since 1880, forty members; the W. C. O. F., since 1898,

The Churches, Continued. 311

fifty members; the C. O. F., sijcty-five members, and the
CathoHc Columbian League, forty members; the Confraternity
of Christian Mothers, forty-four members; and the Confra-
ternity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

KENDALLVILLE.

CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.
1867.

Although no specific date can be given, it seems to be the
opinion, that Rev. Stephen Badin, Rev. Simon Lalumiere, and
Rev. Alphonse Munschina, visited Kendallville several years
before the establishment of the diocese of Fort Wayne. Rev.
Louis Mueller, residing at Fort Wayne, visited Kendallville a
few times. After him Rev. Julian Benoit came more frequently.
As a rule, however, the Catholics of these regions attended
divine services at Avilla, prior to 1865.

In the year mentioned. Rev. A. B. Oechtering, residing at
Avilla, began to visit Kendallville regularly, celebrating Mass
in the house of Peter Ringle. Owing to the construction of
the Grand Rapids and Indiana railroad, the number of Catholics
increased, so as to make -the building of a church possible.
Lots were bought in what is now known as the West Side, and
in the fall of 1866, Bishop Luers laid the corner-stone of the new-
church. The erection of this church, however, was abandoned
when Father Oechtering bought the Baptist church, which was
offered him for $2,200. This building stood on the corner of
Oak and Diamond streets. In 1867, Father Oechtering was
transferred to Mishawaka, and Rev. Dominic Duehmig was
made his successor at Avilla, having charge also of Kendall-
ville. Father Duehmig remodeled the Baptist church, the
Ladies' Altar Society assisting him in the purchase of the
requisites for the altar and the sanctuary. Two rooms were
added to the rear of the church, for the accommodation of the
pastor, when visiting Kendallville. The full dimensions of the
church, as it now stands, is 40x70 feet.

Father Duehmig had charge up to 1884, and after him
Rev. Max Benzinger, residing at Summit, until 1887. From

312 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

1887 to 1889 Rev. John Hoss visited Kendallville. After that
date until 1897, it again became a mission attended from
Avilla. In 1897 Rev. George Lauer was made pastor of Lig-
onier, with Kendallville for a mission; when, however, Rev.
John F. Noll was appointed to succeed Father Lauer in 1899,
he took up his residence in Kendallville, and since that time
Kendallville has had a resident pastor. Father Noll improved
the church property and during his stay lived in a rented house.
His successor, on June 8, 1902, was Rev. John C. Keller. That
same year a residence was built, containing ten rooms, costing
|2,500. On September 18, 1905, a church bell was bought.
The church property has a debt of |1,450.

The Kendallville Parish has the Altar Society, since 1868,
and the Young Ladies' Sodality, since 1903, both for the women.
The Holy Name Society is for the men. The number of souls
is about 201, constituting forty-eight families.

Priests attending Kendallville, for whom we can give any
definite dates, were: Rev. August B. Oechtering, from 1865
till 1867; Rev. Dominic Duehmig, 1867 till 1884; Rev. Max.
Benzinger, from Summit, 1884 till 1887; Rev. John Hoss, 1887
till 1889; Rev. Dominic Duehmig, 1889 till 1897; Rev. George
Lauer, from Ligonier, 1897 till 1899; Rev. John F. Noll, first
resident pastor of Kendallville, 1889 till 1902; and since June
8, 1902, Rev. John C. Keller, second resident pastor.

WINAMAC.

ST. Peter's church.
1867.

The spiritual needs of Catholics at Winamac and the
surrounding country, were looked after by priests from Logans-
port, from 1850 to 1867. Mass in those days was said at the
residence of M. D. Falvey. The Rev. George A. Hamilton
erected the first church, a frame structure. Father Hamilton
at that time resided at Logansport. Rev. Henry Koenig was
appointed the first resident pastor, in 1867. The name of
Rev. Charles Kunkel also appears on the baptismal records.
Rev. Bernard Wiedau was the pastor from 1869 to 1870, and

The Churches, Continued. 313

again from December 1872 to 1873. • In 1873, Bishop Dwenger
gave the Fathers of the Congregation of the Most Precious
Blood charge of Winamac and the neighboring missions. Rev.
August Reichert, C. PP. S., was the first of these Fathers sent
to Winamac, but he remained only a few months when he was
recalled, and Rev. Theopistus Wittmer, C. PP. S., was sent to
fill his place. Father Wittmer built a parochial school and
engaged the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood to have charge
of it, in 1874. Father Wittmer was recalled in 1876, and Rev.
Theobald Schoch, C. PP. S., succeeded him. In 1880, Rev.
Christian Nigsh, C. PP. S., was made the pastor, who in 1883
erected a brick church, 45x95 feet. Rev. KiHan Schill, C. PP.
S., was pastor from 1885 till 1887. From 1887 to 1897, it was
Rev. Otto Missler, C. PP. S., who had charge of the congre-
gation. Rev. Joseph Uphaus, C. PP. S., was pastor from 1897
till the fall of 1898. Rev. Leopold Under, C. PP. S., came
next and remained until 1903, when Rev. Valentine M. Schirack,
C. PP. S., succeeded him. This Father met with a fatal acci-
dent, on November 15, 1904, on account of a runaway horse,
and died almost instantly. Rev. Virgilius Krull, C. PP. S.,
succeeded Father Schirack at Winamac, and remained till the
end of January 1905, when the present pastor. Rev. Lawrence
J. Schirack, C. PP. S., was appointed pastor.

Winamac has ninety Catholic families, with 440 souls.
The parochial school, with an attendance of seventy-four
pupils, is conducted by two Sisters of the Precious Blood.'
The church societies have an aggregate membership of 200.
There is no debt on the church property.

I

CHAPTER XI.

THE CHURCHES — CONTINUED

1868-1877

CROWN POINT — ELKHART — MARION — MONROEVILLE — LOGANS-
PORT, ST. Joseph's — muncie — lafayette, st. anne's —
LOWELL — ST. Anthony's — walkerton — fort wayne,
ST. Peter's — hobart — barrydale — otis — auburn —
schererville — tipton — fowler — logansport, st.
Bridget's — remington — dunnington — garrett — port-
land — south bend, st.hedwig's.

CROWN POINT.

ST. mary's church.
1868.

From about 1861 till 1865, the Rev. M. P. Wehrle, resident
pastor at Lottaville (Turkey Creek), paid occasional visits to
Crown Point. He celebrated Mass at the homes of Anna
Shehan and Catharine Scherer, and also in the Court House.
In fact the first pastoral residence served also as the first church.
The resident pastors at Crown Point were: Rev. M. P. Wehrle,
from December 31, 1865, till November 26, 1868; Rev. Louis
Weiser, from November 26, 1868 till January 22, 1871; Rev.
Henry Meissner, from January 22, 1871 till October 3, 1875;
Rev. Matthias Zumbuelte, from October 3, 1875 till April 17,
1876; Rev. Aegidius Hennemann, O. S. B., from April 17,
1876 till October 20, 1878; the name of Rev. Piriminius Lever-
mann, O. S. B., also appears on the baptismal register from
February 11, 1878 till May 5th, of the same year; Rev. John
Ritter, from October 20th, till November 17, 1878; Rev.
Aemilian Wendel, O. S. B., from November 17, 1878 till July
23, 1882; Rev. Maurice Kaeder, O. S. B., from July 23, 1882
till September 30, 1888; Father Wendel again, from September
30, 1888 till July 1, 1889; Rev. Philip Guethoff, since July 1,

The Churches, Continued. 315

1889. The records of the church show 1,054 baptisms and 186
marriages, up to the present time. The church grounds con-
sisting of about three acres cost $1,000, and were donated by
Peter Kahoe in 1866.

The first church building was a frame structure, 30x60
feet. It was erected at a cost of |1,500 and was dedicated by
Bishop Luers on Rosary Sunday in 1868. The present pastoral
residence was built in 1871 at a cost of |1,500, by Father
Meissner. Later a kitchen was added at an expenditure of
|350. The present Sisters' residence was the first school-house;
a one-story, one room frame structure built in 1872, at a cost
of |1,000. The first church building, to which one story was
added at a cost of over $1,000, by Father GuethofF, is the
present school. It contains two school-rooms on the first floor
and two on the second. Three of these rooms are used for
school purposes, the other for society meetings. The Sisters
of St. Agnes have charge of the school, which is attended by
103 pupils.

Father Guethoff built the present church in 1890. It is
of brick and stone, 50x113 feet, and cost $12,800. The spire
has a height of 142 feet; the architecture is Romanesque.
The stained glass windows, the three altars, the pews, the
pulpit, the organ, etc., necessitated an outlay of $5,000. The
chapel in the basement, for Mass in winter, cost $600. $400
was paid for statuary. The frescoing of the church together
with improvements and repairs in 1907 cost $3,000. The
seating capacity of the church is 600. Crown Point has a
Catholic population of 630, or 124 families. There is no debt
on the church property.

St. Joseph's Rosary Society, for married men, has twenty-
three members. St. Mary's Rosary Society, for married women,
eighty-five. St. Joseph's Sodality, for single men, has fifty-
seven. St. Mary's Sodality, for single women, has eighty. The
Infant Jesus Society, for children, has eighty-five. The League
of the Sacred Heart, has 350 members.

One arce and a half was bought for cemetery purposes on
March 13, 1869, for $140. In 1907, Father Guethoff bought
three and three-quarter acres, additional, for $675. Much has
been done towards beautifying the cemetery, and a fund is
being secured for its permanent care.

316 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

ELKHART.

ST. Vincent's church.
1868.

The first visit of a priest to Elkhart was that of Rev.
Henry Koenig, pastor at Mishawaka. From May 19, 1867,
Rev. August B. Oechtering, also resident at Mishawaka,
attended Elkhart as a station, celebrating Mass in private
houses. The first church was erected under the supervision
of Father Oechtering, in 1868. It was a brick building, 28x56
feet, and cost about $2,500. The number of souls at this time
was about 100, Irish and German. The church grounds were
secured, partly in 1867 and partly in 1885; Father Oechtering
secured the old, and Rev. William Kroeger the new grounds,
at a total cost of |2,100. The present church was erected in
1886, Father William Kroeger being pastor at the time. It is
the Grecian style of architecture, and its dimensions are 130x60
feet. The cost of the building, including decorations and
furniture, was |45,000.

School is taught in the old church and a one-story building.
The Sisters of the Holy Cross have charge of it, and the usual
eight grades are being taught. The Sisters reside in the old
parochial residence, erected in 1872, for $2,000, during the
pastorate of Rev. Jeremiah Quinlan. This house was improved
by the Rev. Henry Boeckelmann, in 1902. The priest's house,
a two-story brick house, was erected in 1899 by Father Boeckel-
mann, at a cost of $10,000. The church property has no debt
on it, the balance of indebtedness having been paid off, on July
22, 1906.

St. Vincent's Parish has the following societies: The
Knights of Columbus, ninety members; the Catholic Benev-
olent Legion; Catholic Lady Foresters; Archconfraternity of
the Rosary, 118 members; Young Ladies' Sodality, fifty-two
members; the Guardian Angels' Society. The number of souls
of the parish is 550. Two boys of the parish have become
priests and two girls Sisters.

The priests, who have had charge of Elkhart, either
visiting it or residing there, were: Rev. August B. Oechtering,
from 1868 till 1871; Rev. John H. Oechtering, assistant during

The Churches, Continued. 317

this time at Mishawaka, also visited Elkhart; Rev. Jeremiah
Quinlan, from 1871 till 1875; Rev. Martin F. Noll, from 1875
until 1880; Rev. William Kroeger from 1880 till 1891; Rev.
Henry A. Boeckelmann from December 1891 till October 4,
1906; Rev. Francis J. Jansen, since November 1, 1906. The
assistant priests at Elkhart have been, Rev. John F. Noll,
from June till December 1898; Rev. Charles F. Keyser, from
October 11, 1902 till October 1903; Rev. F. X. Labonte from
April 7, 1905 till October 30, 1906.

The cemetery of St. Vincent's Parish is located a mile and
one-half from the church, and comprises five and seven-eighths
acres of land.

The school, with an attendance of 142 pupils, is conducted
by three Sisters of the Holy Cross, teaching the regular eight
grades.

MARION.

ST. Paul's church.
1868.

The first Catholic families came to Marion with the con-
struction of, what is now, the Michigan division of the Big
Four railroad, in 1855. At that time for a number of years
the pastors of Peru, Wabash, Kokomo and Union City visited
here. The list of pastors, from 1868, is the following: Rev.
B. T. Borg, assistant at Peru, from 1868 till 1870; Rev. P.
Frawley, first resident pastor, from 1875 till 1876; Rev. M. F.
Kelly, from 1876 till 1882; Rev. James A. Twigg, from May
1882 till 1883; Rev. A. J. Strueder, from 1883 till September
1884; Rev. M. Joy, one month; Rev. John Grogan, from October
1884 till January 1894; Rev. W. J. Quinlan, from January 4,
1894 till April 14, 1906; Rev. P. J. Crawley, since April 14, 1906.

Father Borg, in 1868, built the original portion of the old
frame church, in which he said Mass for the first time, on the
second Sunday of July, 1868. The first resident pastor was
Rev. P. Frawley, who built the priest's house, which, in the
summer and fall of 1897, was enlarged and refurnished, by
Father Quinlan, at a cost of over |4,000.

318 The Diocese of Fort IVayne.

The discovery of natural gas much increased the Catholic
population of Marion; and when Father Quinlan took charge
of the parish, in 1894, he at once enlarged the old frame church,
which was ready for occupancy on March 4th, of that year.
However, it was apparent that the building of a larger and more
commodious church was a crying necessity. Ground was
broke, for the present St. Paul's Church, on September 30,
1895; the corner-stone of it was laid on May 7, 1896, and, on
November 7, 1897, the new church was solemnly dedicated,
by Bishop Rademacher, in the presence of a vast concourse of
people.

St. Paul's Congregation has about 150 families, numbering
650 souls. The debt on the church property is |14,500. The
societies of the parish have an aggregate membership of 219.
Besides these, there are the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic
Foresters, the C. L. B. A., the A. O. H., and the C. M. B. A.

MONROEVILLE.

ST. ROSE OF Lima's church.

1868.

Tradition has it, that in the year 1831, the often men-
tioned missionary, Father Badin, came to Monroeville, on a
sick call, to attend a certain French prospector, located there
temporarily. It is certain, however, that Father Benoit ad-
ministered to the Catholic people here, about 1840, celebrating
Mass in the homes of Jerome Jeffroy and others. Father
Bessonies too called here, about that time. Up to 1868, Mon-
roeville was a station attended by priests residing at the Cathe-
dral, in Fort Wayne. The Catholics hereabout numbered some
twenty families, being French, Irish and German, as to nation-
ality.

From 1868 till 1884, Monroeville was a mission regularly
visited in the order given, by Rev. E. P. Walters, Rev. J. H.
Brammer, Rev. J. M. Graham, Rev. A. M. Meili, Rev. A. Heit-
mann, and Rev. T. Hibbelen. In the year 1884, when the
place was being attended from Areola by Rev. H. T. Wilken,

The Churches, Continued. 319

and Rev. B. Hartmann, Monroeville received its first resident
pastor, in the person of Rev. John Grogan. Rev. John Hoss
was resident pastor, from 1886 to 1887.

The five lots owned by the church were bought, partly by
Father Walters in 1868, and by Father Hartmann in 1886.
The cemetery, consisting of four acres adjacent to the town,
^ was bought by Father Wilken, in 1877. The total cost of this
real estate was about $1,500. When these purchases were
made, Father Walters resided at Fort Wayne and Fathers
Hartmann and Wilken at Areola.

The first church, which was erected in 1868, was a small
frame structure, and was destroyed by fire in 1887. The
present church was built in 1888. The architecture is Gothic,
the dimensions 32x92 feet and the spire 102 feet in height. It
is a small, but beautiful church, and is a monument to the
boundless zeal and untiring energy of the saintly Father Hart-
mann. The seating capacity is 300. In 1904, under the pas-
torate of the Rev. T. M. Conroy, a steam heating plant was
provided, the church was being lighted by electricity, which,
with a few other improvements, cost |2,300, and in 1907 three
new altars with carpet for the sancturay were provided; all of
which was paid for, immediately after their installation. The
parish has no school, for obvious reasons, but the children are
being taught their catechism four times a week, and church
history once a week.

The pastoral residence was erected in 1882 by Father
Hartmann, and was improved in 1899 by Father Paquet.
Owing to the purchase of additional real estate, recently made,
there is at present a debt of $1,760 on the church property.
The parish has the St. Joseph's Benevolent Society, since 1888;
among other good works, it buries the poor dead of the parish.
The Rosary Society has thirty members. The St. Aloysius'
Society, for the young men, and the Blessed Virgin's Sodality,
for the young women. The Columbus Club, for young men,
has twenty-two members.

In 1892 Father Hartmann was succeeded by Rev, F. Von
Schwedler, whose successor was Rev. L. R. Paquet, in 1897.
After him came Rev. F. J. Dandurand, from August 23, 1900
until July 1904. The present pastor. Rev. T. M. Conroy, has
had charge since September 21, 1904.

320 The Diocese of Fori Wayne.

LOGANSPORT.

ST. Joseph's church.

1869.

St. Joseph's Church is a branch of St. Vincent's Church-
The first St. Joseph's Church was erected by Rev. Jacob Mayer>
in 1869. It was a brick building, 80x40 feet, with a seating
capacity of 600. At the time, the parish consisted of only
fifty families. The cost of the church was only $4,300, because
the parishoners did much of the work gratis. The dedication
took place on February 2, 1870.

In August 1872, the Rev. Henry Koehne took charge of
St. Joseph's Congregation. In May 1882, he had paid off a
debt of $6,000, and had accummulated a fund of $2,000 for a
new church. The corner-stone of the new church was laid in
July 1885, in December the building was under roof, and, on
Sunday, October 23, 1887, the church was dedicated by Bishop
Dwenger, assisted by Bishop Rademacher, of Nashville. The
new and present church is 165 feet long and 65 feet wide. The
elevation of the spire is 161 feet, surmounted by a cross, 12
feet high. The style of architecture is Romanesque. Above
the entrance is a gallery capable of seating 200 children, and
immediately over this, is a smaller gallery for the organ and
choir. The width of the center aisle is six feet, and of the two
side aisles five feet. The furniture of the church is all black
and white walnut, beautifully oiled. The church will seat
1,000 persons, leaving a vacant space for pews to accommodate
200 more. The fresco painting of the church is chaste, artistic
and suggestive. The ten stained glass windows present scenes
from the life of our Saviour, the Blessed Virign and the Saints.
The total cost of the building amounts to $80,000.

During the absence of Father Koehne in Europe, in 1888,
three large bells were placed in the tower, at a cost of $1,250.
In 1894, the church was again frescoed, and the artist, Zuko-
tinski, executed four handsome oil paintings; the Archangel
Michael over the Main Altar and the Archangel Gabriel, the
Holy Family and the death of St. Joseph over the Side Altars.
These paintings cost $500 each.

New altars, in the byzantine style, were placed in 1894.
They are in imitation of white marble, richly ornamented with

The Churches, Continued. 321

gold. The Main Altar has the statues of St. Joseph, St. Aloy-
sius and St. Theresa; one Side Altar the statues of the Sacred
Heart of Jesus and two angels, the other Side Altar the statues
of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, St. Cecilia and St. Barbara.
The cost was |3,000. A little later, fine oil paintings of the
fourteen stations of the Cross were procured, for 1 1,400. Christ-
mas of 1900 was distinguished with a new imported crib,
worth |400. All the furniture and furnishings, and all needed
articles for the sanctuary, including sacred vessels and vest-
ments, have been procured and are in every respect first class.

From the time Father Koehne took charge of the parish,
the Cullen House was used as a school, from 1872 to 1892.
The number of pupils increased to such an extent, that larger
accommodations became a necessity. On the first day of
April, 1891, the old church was torn down, and in its place a
new school erected, and dedicated on January 17, 1892. This
building is in every respect commendable. It is three-stories
in height, with a basement. The first floor has two class-
rooms, with a capacity each of seventy-five, on the same floor
is a room for society meetings. The second floor has four
class-rooms and two music rooms. The third floor is a hall, a
perfect model of its kind, with a seating capacity of 600. The
dimensions of the stage are 26x20 feet. The school was con-
ducted by lay-teachers from 1872 to 1877. In August of 1877,
Father Koenhe secured the School Sisters of Notre Dame for
his schools. At the present time eight Sisters have charge of
290 children. The old school building has been remodeled
and serves now as the Sisters' dwelling.

Father Koehne, up to the time of his death, occupied the
residence on the corner of Market and Second streets. In
1904 he purchased a residence adjacent to, and west of the
church, for a priest's residence, at a cost of |9,000, from his
own personal means, and donated the same to St. Joseph's
Church. The debt on the church property is |2,555.

The following are the societies: The Rosary Society,
since 1869, with 100 members; St. Aloysius Young Men's
Society, since 1883, with ninety members; the Young Ladies'
Sodality of the Immaculate Conception, since 1872, with 140
members; the Sacred Heart Sodality, since 1899, with 125
members; the St. Joseph's Benevolent Society, since 1872,

322 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

with 160 members. The number of famiHes is 250, numbering
about 1,150 souls. Two boys have become priests and eight
girls Sisters.

The pastors of St. Joseph's were: Rev. Jacob Mayer,
from 1869 to 1872; Rev. Bernard Wiedau, Rev. F. Von Schwed-
ler, and Rev. A. M. Meili, had charge temporarily. Rev.
Henry Koehne, from August 1872 to November 24, 1906;
Rev. Anthony J. H. Kroeger, since January 1, 1907.

From 1903 to 1905, Fathers of the Most Precious Blood
were assistants at St. Joseph's Church, but since May 1905 it
was Rev. William Hoff, till July 13, 1907, when Rev. Henry
Hoerstman was appointed.

MUNCIE.

ST. Lawrence's church.

1869.

Muncie, the county seat of Delaware county, is situated
on the south bank of the White river, about fifty-three miles
northeast of IndianapoHs. It is opposite the site of the old
Indian town which was north of the White river, deriving its
name from a tribe of Indians, known as the Muncies, who were
a division of the Delaware tribe. It was here the Shawnee
Prophet, Tecumseh's brother, resided.

Missionaries, in the earliest days, occassionally visited
the few Catholics scattered here and there. The first priest
visiting Muncie was Rev. Daniel Maloney, who came from
Indianapolis. The first Mass was celebrated at the house of
Patrick Tuhey, on the site of the present public library. For
nearly four years Father Maloney paid monthly visits, cele-
brating Mass alternately at the homes of Patrick Tuhey and
Peter Mutch. Patrick Tuhey is no more, but Peter Mutch
and his wife, both nearly ninety years of age, still occupy the
old home of the early missionary days. Father Maloney had
to make his journey from Indianapolis on horseback.

Rev. August Bessonies attended Muncie, from Indianap-
olis, in 1855 and 1856. Rev. Michael Clark came to Muncie,
in 1857. He also attended the missions of Winchester, Ander-

The Churches, Continued. 323

son and Union City. His efforts to build a church in Muncie
were not successful. Missionary visits continued, for short
periods of time, by Revs. Simon Siegrist, and Theodore Van der
Poel, John McMahon, John Gueguen, Daniel Maloney and
William Doyle. Rev. FitzMaurice took charge in the early
sixties and ministered to the spiritual wants for three years.
Revs. John Bleckmann and Frederick Von Schwedler both
attended Muncie from Union City. The Rev. Lawrence
Lamoor, of Union City, began the building of the church in
1869. The congregation at that time numbered seventy-five
members, none of them rich, but what they lacked in wealth,
they supplied in zeal and perseverance. Lots were bought on
the corner of Charles and Hackley streets, upon which the
church was built. It was a brick building, 35x60 feet in size.
St. Lawrence, the deacon, was named the patron of the church.
It was dedicated in 1873 by Bishop Dwenger. Rev. Joseph A.
Marshall had charge of Muncie, from June to September 1873.
Rev. John B. Crawley, of Anderson, succeeded Father Marshall
from September 1873 till December 1874. He attended
Muncie once a month, and paid off all but |250 of the indebt-
edness of the church.

The present pastor, the Rev. William George Schmidt,
was appointed pastor of Muncie on January 28, 1875. At
that time the congregation had about forty-five families. He
erected a small frame residence, which served as a priest's
house until 1899, when he built the present rectory, at a cost
of about |7,000. The first pastoral residence was partially
destroyed by fire, on November 1, 1880. Father Schmidt
built a frame school-house in 1881, wherein he himself taught,
from 1881 to 1882. He attended Hartford City in 1875, and
Montpelier from 1875 to 1896. Sick calls to Hartford City,
Montpelier, and the surrounding country, were made by such
modes of travel as horseback, handcars, and other primitive
conveniences.

The present church edifice, planned in the Gothic style of
architecture and cruciform in shape, was built by Father
Schmidt and dedicated by Bishop Rademacher, on the feast
of the Nativity of our Lady, 1895. The altars and furniture
are of oak. The cost of the church was |43,000. It has a
seating capacity of 950. After the new church was built, the

324 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

old church was converted into two school-rooms, which, with
the frame structure erected in 1881, served for the accommoda-
tion of the children until 1901, in the spring of which year
Father Schmidt began the erection of the present school. The
work progressed throughout the spring and summer of 1901,
and in October of that year, two rooms were ready for occu-
pancv. These rooms accommodated those children, who had
formerly attended in the "Old Church" school-rooms, which
latter Father Schmidt tore down, at this period. He rented,
for the first four to six weeks of the fall term, two rooms in a
neighboring building, formerly used as a blacksmith shop,
and many of the children now attending school laughingly
recall their school days in the "Blacksmith Shop." The other
rooms of the new school were ready for their purpose by Decem-
ber, 1901. The building contains eight well lighted, thoroughly
ventilated, and finely equipped school-rooms, each 27x27 feet.
Two spacious halls separate the rooms on each of the two
floors. A large hall occupies the third floor. The heating and
other conveniences are of the modern type. The cost of the
building is about §20,000. The indebtedness on the church
property is 817,000.

The school was first taught by the pastor, later by a lay-
teacher, then by the Sisters of St. Joseph, and since 1886 by
the Sisters of St. Agnes, from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Eight
Sisters are engaged in teaching the 403 children, who attend
the school. The eight grades are followed by a modification
of the ordinary high school and commercial college. The
Sisters reside in a frame building near the school-house. Father
Schmidt contemplates the erection of a more spacious residence
for them, in the near future.

The parish has the St. Vincent de Paul's Aid Society, estab-
lished in 1894; the A. O. H., in 1892; the Ladies' Auxiliary of
the .\. O. H., in 1898; the Catholic Benevolent Legion; the
Ladies' Catholic Benevolent Association; and the Knights of
Columbus. For the girls there is the St. Agnes' Sodality and
the Children of Mary; for the boys, the Holy Name Sodality
and the St. Aloysius' Society. The Sodality of the Blessed
Virgin Mary is for single women; the Guardian Angel and Infant
Jesus Societies are for the children. St. Lawrence's Congrega-
tion has 329 families, numbering 1,697 souls.

The Churches, Continued. 325

The Rev. John Schmitz was^the assistant from 1899 till
1900; later the Rev. L. R. Paquet and after him the Rev.
Z. Huot.

LAFAYETTE.

ST. Ann's church.
1870.

In 1870, Rev. George A. Hamilton built St. Ann's Chapel
on the corner of Wabash avenue and Smith street, in Lafayette,
at a cost of |5,000. This chapel was a two-story, brick building
arranged for church and school purposes, and services were
held here, every Sunday, by one of the priests of St. Mary's
Church. On the advice of Father Walters, St. Ann's was made
an independent parish by Bishop Dwenger, in September 1884.
Rev. John Dempsey was appointed its first pastor, who at
once built a pastoral residence. He was removed to Valpar-
aiso, August 24, 1888.

Father Dempsey's immediate successor, was the Rev.
Patrick F. Roche. Father Roche, recognizing the necessity
of a new church began the work on the present St. Ann's
Church in May 1896. On September 12, 1897, Bishop Rade-
macher laid the corner-stone with elaborate ceremonies, and
in the presence of at least 3,000 people. The church is a hand-
some structure, built of brick and stone, 143x53 feet. The
cost of the building, including the furnishings, amounted to
$20,000. The furniture of the church, altars, pews, railing,
organ, the vestments and sacred vessels cost, in the aggregate,
about |8,000. The seating capacity is 640, and 200 in the
gallery, total of 840. The old church is being used for school
purposes. The dimensions of the building are 145.x44 feet.
It is divided into three school-rooms and can accommodate
180 pupils. The eight grades are taught, and the Sisters of
Providence have had charge, from the beginning; they reside
in a rented house. At the present time, three Sisters have
charge of 143 children. There is a debt of |5,100 on the church
property.

St. Ann's has a Living Rosary Society, for married men
and women, since 1892, seventy-four members; the St. Ann's

326 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Cadets, for single men, since 1897, forty-three members; the
Young Ladies' SodaHty, since 1890, ninety-five members; the
Children of Mary, since 1902, sixty-two members; the Holy
Angels' Society, eighty members, and the Sacred Heart League,
with forty-eight members. The C. B. L., the C. K. of A., the
A. O. H., and the Ladies' Auxiliary A. O. H., have an aggregate
membership of 207.

St. Ann's has had two resident pastors: Rev. John
Dempsey, from September 1884 till August 1888; Rev. Patrick
F. Roche, from August 24, 1888 till May 16, 1901. The present
pastor. Rev. Michael F. Byrne, has had charge since May 16,
1901.

The Indiana State Soldiers' Home, near Lafayette, has
in it a chapel for the accommodation of the Catholic inmates,
since 1896. Rev. P. F. Roche was instrumental in securing
these accommodations, consisting of one large room in the
rear of one of the main buildings, at the Home; it is fully
furnished with altar, vestments and other requisites, as well
as pews. Services are held there, by the pastor of St. Ann's,
on week days only, with an average attendance of about twenty-
five.

Rev. John Blum was assistant at St. Ann's, from July
till December 28, 1905. The number of souls in St. Ann's
parish is 1,120, constituting 250 families. Four boys and eight
girls have entered the religious state of life.

LOWELL.
ST. Edward's church.

1870. •

The few Catholic families, living at Lowell, were visited
by the Rev. Francis X. Deimel, pastor of Crown Point. He
celebrated Mass in the home of John Driscoll, at regular inter-
vals. It was not long, however, when, upon a visit of Bishop
Luers, a site was selected for a church and arrangements made
for its erection. The Bishop himself gave a donation of |100.
Under the direction of Father Deimel, and a building com-
mittee, a small structure of frame was built, at a cost of about
|500, and was dedicated by Bishop Luers in 1870.

The Churches, Continued. 327

In 1878, Lowell became a mission attached to Klaasville.
The Rev. John H. Bathe, pastor of Klaasville, attending it
until 1882. Father Bathe secured a site for a cemetery at a
cost of |250. The Rev. Charles A. Ganzer succeeded Father
Bathe, remaining till 1891, when he was transferred to Kentland.
For a short time, the Rev. Adam Buchheit attended Lowell
from Klaasville. From 1891 till 1898, Lowell was attended
by the Fathers of the Most Precious Blood near Rensselaer.
The Rev. F. X. Schalk, C. PP. S., built the present edifice at
a cost of $5,000. The building was dedicated by Bishop
Rademacher, in 1897.

In September 1898, Lowell received its first resident pastor
in the person of Rev. Frederick Koenig, with Wheatfield and
Kniman as missions. Father Koenig at once built the priest's
house, costing about |2,500. In November, 1905, Father
Koenig was transferred to Lottaville, and was succeeded by
the Rev. Charles F. Keyser. Since June 8, 1907, Lowell is
attended from St. Joseph's College, by Rev. Alphonse Mueller,
C. PP. S. On the day of the dedication of the new church,
the building was free from all indebtedness and the congrega-
tion today has no liabilities.

The congregation has 31 families, numbering 112 souls.
The Rosary Society, for married women, has twenty-three
members; the St. Aloysius' Society, for single men, has twelve,
and the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin, for single women, has
twenty members.

BENTON COUNTY.

ST. Anthony's church.

1870.

The earliest visits of a missionary, in these parts, go back
to 1862. St. Anthony's was attended, as a station, by Rev.
Joseph Stephan from Rensselaer, from 1863 to 1864. For a
period of five or six years Mass was celebrated, four or five
times a year, in the house of Anthony Dehner. The early
Catholic settlers were Germans.

While residing in Kentland, Rev. A. Messmann had charge

328 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

of St. Anthony's, where, on April 24, 1869, he organized the
nineteen famihes into a parish, began the building of a church
and finished the same in 1870. It is the present church. The
church grounds are composed of ten acres of land. In 1869,
Anthony Dehner donated five acres for church and cemetery
and, in 1876, Bernard Quante donated five acres for priest's
house and pasture. The dimensions of the church are 54x60
feet. In 1894, Rev. J. Baker made extensive repairs, by hning
the ceiling and replastering the church, at a cost of $250 and,
in 1898 and 1899, Rev. F. J. Bilstein added a sacristy and had
the church frescoed, at a cost of $2,023. $1,500 of this amount
was secured by three funded Masses. The seating capacity of
the church is 240.

The priest's house was built in 1876, by Rev. F. X. Ege.
It was a one-and-a-half story house to which, in 1884, a kitchen
and dining room were added by the Rev. F. J. Lambert. A
barn was built by Rev. J. Hoss, in about 1880 or 1881. It
was struck by lightning and burned. Another stable was
built at once, this too was destroyed by fire in 1899. The
third stable and barn combined were built by Father Bilstein,
for $300. The church property is free of debt. The number
of souls is 157, or twenty-five families. In 1885, a large num-
ber of French Catholics began to come here, so that the parish
increased to ninety families, but within ten years the French
Catholics left the place. One girl of the parish has entered a
religious community. The parish has the Rosary Society,
since 1892, and the Sacred Heart Society, since 1901. They
have charge of the altar and sanctuary.

The priests who have been the pastors of St. Anthony's
were: Rev. Joseph Stephan, when a station; Rev. A. Mess-
mann, of Kentland, from 1870 to 1876, when a mission. The
following were the resident pastors: Rev. F. X. Ege from
July 1876 to October 1878; Rev. John Hoss, from October
1878 till June 1884; Rev. F. J. Lambert, from June 1884 till
May 1888; Rev. A. J. Strueder, from May 1888 till August
1891; Rev. Joachim Baker, from August 1891 till January 9,
1896; Rev. F. Von Schwedler, from January 9, 1896 till Febru-
ary 16, 1898; Rev. F. J. Bilstein, from February 16, 1898 till
October 1, 1900; Rev. G. A. Zern, from October 1, 1900 till
October 2, 1903; Rev. F. J. Koch, since October 2, 1903.

The Churches, Continued. 329

WALKERTON.

ST. Patrick's church.
1870.

Walkerton derived its name from a Mr. Walker, who con-
structed the Lake Erie railroad from Walkerton to Michigan
City. Prior to that time it was known as East Troy, West
Troy and West York. About 1856, the Rev. Paul Gillen and
Rev. John Curley, Fathers of the Holy Cross, residing at Notre
Dame, said Mass in an old log cabin on Kyram Devery's farm.
In 1870, Rev. Timothy D. O'Sullivan, residing at Laporte,
paid occasional visits to Walkerton. The number of souls at
that time was about forty, mostly Irish. Father O'Sullivan
built the church, a frame structure 45x22 feet, costing about
|800. "The pews had no backs to them, and the window
sills served for lamp stands." Most of the money was collected
along the railroad line. Rev. M. E. Campion, also residing at
Laporte, succeeded Father O'Sullivan. The church at that
time was called St. Henry's Church. In October 1881, the
Rev. H. F. Joseph Kroll, pastor at Chesterton, took charge of
Walkerton. From September 1, 1895 to February 4, 1897
Rev. Dominic Shunk, C. PP. S., residing at Wanatah, was
visiting pastor. Next came Rev. Edward Jakob, C. PP. S.,
till September 1, 1897; Rev. Raymund Vernimont, C. PP. S.,
till January 18, 1898, both residing at Wanatah. Rev. Adam
M. Buchheit, residing at Wanatah, attended the place till Sep-
tember 10, 1899.

The first resident pastor was the Rev. Henry C. Kappel,
from September 10, 1899 to July 18, 1901. He bought the
house, adjacent to the church, for a pastoral residence. Father
Kappel was succeeded by Rev. Peter Budnik, from July 18,
1901 to June 5, 1902. Since this latter date, the present
pastor. Rev. Joseph Abel, has had charge.

The church grounds consist of two lots. In 1886, Father
Kroll built a gallery in the church, and procured an organ;
and in 1889 he built an addition of 25x45 feet to the church.
Father Shunk, in 1895, erected a belfry and put in it a bell,
and in 1896 gave the church stained glass windows. Father
Abel, since his arrival, has made several improvements and

330 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

many repairs. The seating capacity of the church is about
150. The priest's house owes its present, neat appearance to
Father Abel. The church property is out of debt. St. Patrick's
parish has two societies: The Rosary Society, organized in
1899, and the Sacred Heart Society, in June 1902. The num-
ber of souls at the present time is eighty-one, or twenty-four
families.

The pastor at Walkerton has charge also of the missions
Hamlet and Bremen, and the station Knox.

FORT WAYNE.

ST. Peter's church.

1S71.

St. Peter's church property, known as St. Peter's Square,
is bounded on the north by St. Martin's street, on the east by
Hanna street, on the south by Dewald street, and on the west
by Warsaw street; it measures 150x450 feet. Three of the lots
were purchased in 1871, one of the lots was donated by Father
Wemhoff, and five lots were purchased about the same time;
total cost $6,000. The first building erected was a two-story
brick structure, 40x70 feet. The first floor served as school,
accommodating comfortably 250 pupils, and the second, as
church, with a seating capacity of 300. The total cost was
about $10,000. Rev. John Wemhofif was the pastor at the
time.

The present church was built during the pastorate of Rev.
A. Messmann, in 1892 and 1893. Its dimensions are 190x80
feet and its cost was $65,000. It is a Gothic structure of
pleasing design. The present pastor. Rev. Charles Thiele, is
furnishing the church with a beautiful altar, Stations of the
Cross and a pulpit. When completed the church with the
furnishings will represent an outlay of $75,000. The debt on
the church property is $22,000.

During the pastorate of Rev. Ferdinand Koerdt, in 1905,
a new school building was planned, which, when completed,
will be one of the most imposing and best equipped school-
houses in Fort Wayne, and will have cost fully $60,000. One
wing only of the new building is now standing at an expense
of $18,000, furnishing accommodations for 200 children. The

The Churches, Continued. 331

present pastor, Father Thiele, has installed a central heating
plant, to serve all the buildings on the premises, at a cost of
111,000.

Up to 1881 lay-teachers taught the children, but in that
year the School Sisters of Notre Dame took charge of the school.
Eight Sisters are engaged in teaching the eight grades, and
one in the higher branches. The school has an attendance of
446 pupils. The Sisters reside in a home, specially erected
for them, in 1880 by Father Messmann, a commodious two-
story brick structure, 30x65 feet, costing about $3,000. The
school is supported by the St. Joseph's School Society, which
was organized in the very beginning, and to which all heads of
families belong. It may be mentioned that the members of
this society are either active, or passive, or honorary members.
The active members are the heads of families, who send children
to school. They pay eight dollars initiation (in installments,
if preferred) and seventy-five cents per month, no matter how
many children they send. The passive members are heads of
families, who have as yet no children old enough to attend
school. They pay twenty-five cents per month, until their
children go to school; the amount having been paid in by that
time is accepted in payment of the initiation fee as part or
whole payment of the same as the case may be. The honorary
members are the heads of families who have no children to
send to school; they pay twenty-five cents per month. Any
single person may become an honorary member.

The first priest's house, built in 1872, was a frame building,
20x30 feet, with an addition of 8x12 feet. It was removed
and is at present number 2007, on Hanna street. The present
priest's house was formerly located where the church now
stands. It is a frame building and was moved to its present
location in 1892. It was twice enlarged, at considerable
expense, and its value is about $3,000.

Besides the School Society, with 170 members, the parish
also has the following: St. Martin's Benevolent Society, with
eighty-eight members, organized in 1874, assists its members
in time of sickness and death; St. Stephen's Society for young
men, with eighty-five members; St. Agnes' Society for young
women, with 145 members, and the Guardian Angel's Society,
for children, with 125 members, have been in existence since

332 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

the organization of the parish. The Rosary Society is the oldest
society, for married women. The Christian Mothers' Society
has a membership of 312. These societies have been most
helpful in contributing towards the church furnishings. To
mention one item, they have contributed |5,000 for a new
altar. Still other Societies are: The CathoHc Knights of
America, with fourteen members, the Catholic Benevolent
Legion, seventeen members, the Catholic Benevolent League,
eighty-nine members, the St. Vincent de Paul's Society, ninety-
six members, the Association of the Holy Family, 177 members,
the Poor Souls' Society, ninety-five members, the Association
of the Holy Childhood, 379 members, the Sacred Heart League,
555 members. All these societies are in flourishing condition.

The parish has 384 families. The number of souls is
1,872. Four boys have become priests, and six girls Sisters.

The assistant priests at St. Peter's Church were: Rev.
John Biedermann from October 1, 1901 to June 30, 1905; and
Rev. Norbert Felden the present assistant.

HOBART.

ST. Bridget's church.

1873.

Although it is known that missionaries visited these parts
at an early date, still the name of Rev. Paul Gillen, C. S. C,
is the first, of whom we have any record, in 1855. He resided
at Michigan City. He celebrated Mass in the house of John
Mellane, near Hobart. After Father Gillen came Rev. John
Force, residing at Valparaiso, from 1858 to 1859. He said
Mass in the same house. The Rev. Alexius Botti, residing at
Valparaiso, came next. He celebrated Mass in John Ormand's
home. It was in the year 1871, that Rev. M. O'Reilly began
to visit Hobart from Valparaiso, his place of residence. Until
1873 he celebrated Mass in the home of John O'Doyle, when
he bought some lots on which to build a church. These three
lots had an old picture gallery on it, which was converted into
a church; a building sixty years old, and in use today. $1,100
was paid for the property, at the time; of this amount Father
O'Reilly paid over $700 and his successor. Rev. F. X. Baum-
gartner, the rest. The number of souls at this time was about

The Churches, Continued. 333

100. The succession of priests attending Hobart, was the
following: Rev. Paul Gillen, C. *S. C, Michigan City, from
1855 to 1858; Rev. John Force, Valparaiso, from 1858 to 1859
Rev. Alexius Botti, Valparaiso, from 1859 to 1871, Rev
Michael O'Reilly, Valparaiso, from 1871 to October 18, 1875
Rev. F. X. Baumgartner, Turkey Creek, from 1875 to 1881
Rev. H. M. Roth, Turkey Creek, from 1881 to May, 1883
Rev. F. X. Baumgartner, Turkey Creek, from 1883 to Feb-
ruary 1885; Rev. Joseph Flach, Turkey Creek, from February
1885 to July 1888; Rev. Charles V. Stetter, D. D., Turkey
Creek, from July 1888 to February 27, 1903; Rev. Thomas F.
Jansen, Hobart, February 27, 1903, who was and is the first
resident pastor at Hobart, and who attended Turkey Creek,
as a mission, until October, 1904.

The old church was much improved and beautified by
Father Stetter, the interior is nicely frescoed with eight hand-
some paintings and has three beautiful altars. Father Jansen,
during his pastorate, has also spent over $1,000 in repairing,
improving and still further beautifying the church. Besides
this. Father Jansen has bought the present priest's house,
together with over an acre of land, for a consideration of $6,200.
The purchase was made in August 1903, and an additional
sum of $500 was spent on the house. The church property
has a debt of $2,700. The number of souls is about 260, con-
sisting of fifty-two families.

St. Bridget's Church has the St. Ann's Christian Mothers
Sodality; the Young Ladies' Sodality, organized in 1906; and
the Children of Mary. A Society for married and single men
is now in process of organization.

The debt on the church property, at the present time, is
$2,650. Lake Station is a small mission attended by the pastor
of Hobart.

BARRYDALE.

ST. Bridget's church.

1873.

Barrydale, formerly known as the "Ditch," was so termed
on account of a big open ditch a mile or so from the church,
which served to drain the low, swampy country. In the

334 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

autumn of 1901, it was named Barrydale. St. Bridget's
Church was attended by priests from Lafayette; Rev. F. Joseph
Stephan, about the year 1860, celebrated Mass in private
houses from time to time. The same can be said of Rev.
E. B. Kilroy in 1862, and of Rev. C. J. O'Callaghan, in 1864.
In the year 1870, the Rev. John R. Dinnen, residing at Oxford,
began to pay St. Bridget's regular visits. At this time the
Cathohc population did not exceed a dozen families.

The first little frame church was built, in 1873, at a cost
of |800, by Rev. Meinrad McCarthy, O. S. B. This building
still stands and is now used for a hall. Father Dinnen, of
Oxford, had charge of the mission until 1875, and Rev. Thomas
M. Cahill, until 1878. Father Cahill was succeeded by the
Rev. John Dempsey, who for a short time lived in a farm house
near by, then moved to Fowler and attended the mission from
there, till 1882, when again it was visited from Oxford, by the
Rev. P J. Crosson, till 1894. The number of families had now
increased to about thirty-five. The church grounds comprise
about two acres. One acre was secured for |50 in 1873 by the
Benedictine Father McCarthy; and the rest, by the present
pastor, also for a consideration of |50, being less than half
its actual value. The parish never had a cemetery of its own,
its dead being buried in Lafayette or Oxford. Nor has there
been ever a Catholic school in the place, owing to the long
distance the children would have to come. The present church
was built, in 1896, by the Rev. W. Conrad Miller residing at
Oxford, at a cost of about $7,000. It is a handsome and sub-
stantial brick structure with a seating capacity of about 325.
The congregation has forty-three families, numbering 245 souls.

The present and only priest's house, the place has had,
was built in the summer of 1901 by the Rev. Charles E. McCabe,
the first resident pastor, at an outlay of about |3,500. It is
a fine frame structure of ten rooms, with all modern conven-
iences, and complete in every detail. The church property
has a debt of $2,600.

The Societies, organized in the summer of 1901, were:
The Rosary Society for married men and women, with thirty
members; the Sodality of the Children of Mary for young
women and girls, with eighteen members, and the Sodality of
the Holy Name for young men and boys, with twenty members.

The Churches, Continued. 335

Aside from the spiritual purposes^ for which these organiza-
tions were called into existence, the same are also helpful in a
material way, by furnishing the church and sanctuary with
many necessary and useful articles.

The present pastor, the Rev. Michael J. Ford, was ap-
pointed on July 22, 1906. He has secured additional ground,
has beautified the place, and has made several necessary im-
provements.

The pastor at Barrydale visits the mission, at Otterbein,
every Sunday and Holyday, from Easter to Christmas, and
every other Sunday from Christmas to Easter.

OTIS.

ST. Mary's church.
1873.

The Rev. John H. Oechtering was the first priest to visit
Otis, or Salem Crossing, as it was then known, and the neigh-
boring country. The Catholic population, in the year 1870,
consisted of about forty-five Polish and two or three German
famihes. Father Oechtering, who was the resident pastor at
Laporte for ten years, built the first church at Otis in 1873 and
secured the services of the Rev. Francis X. Szulak, S. J., of
Chicago several times a year to give the Polish families an
opportunity of receiving the sacraments. Shortly after, the
Rev. Peter Koncz began to reside at Otis, and became its first
resident pastor, making his home with private families. His
successor was Rev. Ludwig Machdzicki, who built the first
priest's house and remained till 1881. In August, 1881, the
Rev. Urban Raszkiewicz was appointed pastor at Otis, where
he continues to live and labor at the present time, the venerable
pastor of St. Mary's Church, in the eighty-fourth year of his
age.

The church property contains five acres of land, part of
which is used for cemetery purposes. The present pastor has
made additions to, and improvements on both the church and
the priest's residence. The church is neatly furnished, cruci-
form, frame building, and can seat 400 people. It has a chime
of three bells, in a belfry beside the church. The school was

336 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

built by Father Machdzicki, in 1880; it is a two-story frame
building with basement, and has two class-rooms, and private
rooms for the Sisters and boarders; it cost |2,000. The average
attendance at school is seventy pupils. Two Felician Sisters,
from the Mother-house at Detroit, Michigan, teach Enghsh
and Polish branches. The priest's house with additions and
improvements has cost about $3,000. There is no debt on
the church property.

The parish has three Societies, two are sodalities and one
is beneficiary. St. Mary's Congregation has given the church
two priests and four Sisters. Otis has 1 10 families, comprising
500 souls. Unable to attend to his pastoral duties, on account
of old age, Father Raszkiewicz received Rev. P. A. Budnik for
his assistant, on June 8, 1907.

AUBURN.

CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.

1874.

Rev. August Young visited Auburn, for the first time, on
August 5, 1872, finding eight Catholic families in that place.
For two years he had services in the house of E. Ashley, on
West Seventh street. The foundation for the present church
was laid on June 1, 1874, on the corner of Fourth and Railroad
streets, and the church was dedicated by Bishop Dwenger on
October 18th, of the same year. The building cost |3,000, and
the total amount was paid on the day after the dedication.
The present priest's residence adjoining the church, was bought
for 1 1,900, on April 15, 1874. The congregation at that time
numbered 300 souls, and had no debt on the church property.
By order of the Bishop, Father Young changed his place of
residence from Auburn to Garrett, on November 10, 1886, but
continued to visit Auburn from Garrett, until November 1,
1891.

The resident pastors succeeding Father Young at Auburn
were the following: Rev. Rudolph Denk, eight months; Rev.
Francis P. Faust, from June 1892 till November 1895; Rev.
Edward J. Boccard, from November 1895 till September 1898;
Rev. Frederick J. Dandurand, from September 1898 to July
1900; Rev. John M. Schmitz, since July 13, 1900.

The Churches, Continued. 337

On August 30, 1881, four and ajialf acres of ground, known
as Mader's addition to the town of Auburn, were bought for
$543.54, and have since been St. Mary's Cemetery, serving
Auburn, Garrett, and missions for burial purposes, up to 1897.
Since his accession, the present pastor. Father Schmitz, has
done much toward improving the church property. The
Rosary Society for married women, with twenty-four members,
a SodaUty for single women, with twenty-three members,
proved beneficial to the parish in many respects. At present,
Auburn has forty Catholic families, numbering 161 souls.
The debt on the church property is $160.

SCHERERVILLE.

ST. Michael's church.
1874.

The pastors of St. Michael's Church were: Rev. Henry
Meissner, Crown Point, from 1874 till September 1875; Rev.
Godfrey Kueng, from 1875 till October 1876; a vacancy, from
October 1876 till February 1877; Rev. John Henry Bathe,
from February 16, till August 18, 1877; Rev. F. X. Deimel,
from August 1877 till May 28, 1881; during Father Deimel's
illness. Rev. Eustachius Vollmer, O. F. M., and Rev. Charles
Rosenbauer, C. SS. R., attended the parish; Rev. William
Berg, since May 28, 1881.

Schererville exists since 1866. All the old settlers of these
regions were Catholic, and according to convenience attended
the churches at St. John, Turkey Creek, Crown Point or Dyer.
In the year 1874, Bishop Dwenger approved the project of
building a church at Schererville, and placed the undertaking
under the supervision of Rev. Henry Meissner, pastor at Crown
Point. Four and a quarter acres of land, for church and
cemetery purposes, were donated by Nicholas Scherer, after
whom the town is named. The church was a frame structure
45x95 feet, with a tower 100 feet. It was dedicated by Bishop
Dwenger at the end of September 1874, and placed under the
patronage of St. Michael, the Archangel. The church cost
|5,000. The congregation was anxious to have a resident
priest, and, with this end in view, they built a priest's house
at a cost of about |1,800, in 1875.

338 The Diocese of Fori Wayne.

Rev. Godfrey Kueng was the first resident pastor; he was
a good priest, but, having no taste for financial matters, he
resigned in October 1876, and returned to his native country
in Tvrol. Father Bathe provided some vestments, and Father
Deimel procured two bells, stations of the Cross and both
these pastors reduced the debt. Father Deimefs health was
not good. He spent about two years in the Alexian Brothers'
Hospital, at St. Louis. When Father Berg took charge he
found a debt of $2,300. He made many improvements and
repairs on the church and house, and when, in the summer of
1889, all the church debt had been paid, he was given a three
months' vacation to visit his native country; during which
time his brother, Rev. John B. Berg had charge of the parish.

The cemetery is adjacent to the church, on the west side,
and was blessed by Bishop Rademacher, on September 27,
1895. In the year 1893, the church was frescoed, and repaired
at a cost of $1,200. The Main Altar and the two Side .Altars
and their statuary were provided gradually, costing probably
§1,300. The church received ten stained glass windows in
1889, a new roof in 1890, a hot air furnace underneath the
church and in 1897, a pipe organ. The church is supphed
with vestments, sacred utensils and everything necessary in
the line of furniture.

Father Berg secured the services of the Sisters of St.
Francis, of Joliet, in 1886, to teach the public school. They
had lived in a rented house for two years, when a separate
residence was built for them, in 1888. The public school
arrangement proved unsatisfactory, for many reasons. In
1893, the old pubhc school building was sold, and 20x24 feet
of it was moved to the church for school purposes, and, in the
year 1900, an addition was made to it, affording two roomy
apartments for school purposes. The building was blessed on
September 15, 1900, and on the day after the school opened
with an attendance of 42 pupils. The school building measures
24x50 feet, and cost Si, 200.

St. Michael's has these Societies: St. Mary's Altar
Societ}-, over twenty-five years old, has done much for the
sanctuary. St. Michael's Society for men. The Catholic Order
of Foresters. The Columbian League of Indiana. The Young
Ladies' Sodality of the Blessed Virgin. Ten young ladies of

The Churches, Continued. 339

the parish have entered religious communities. In 1888 the
Apostleship of Prayer was canonically estabHshed and has now
150 members. The aggregate membership of these societies
is 500. The school is attended by eighty-five children, taught
by two Sisters. There is no debt on the church property.

TIPTON.

ST. John's church.

1874.

Tipton changed its name from Kingston to Canton and
then to Tipton. The town was laid out in 1844, and in those
days Catholics in Tipton and vicinity were few and far between.
The first priest, as far as can be ascertained, who said Mass in
Tipton county, was Rev. Simon Siegrist, pastor of St. Mary's
Church, at Indianapolis, who, on occasion of a sick call to
Tipton, said Mass in the home of John Murphy. In 1856,
Rev. D. Maloney came occasionally and said Mass alternately
at the homes of John Murphy at Tipton, and of James Sheil
at Shieldsville (now Atlanta), five miles south of Tipton.
Next came Rev. B. J. Force, stationed at Peru. After him,
Rev. Bernard Kroeger from Peru, who having assistants from
1864 to 1871 attended Tipton, at regular intervals. These
assistants were: Rev. C. Mougin 1864, Rev. Lawrence Lamoor
1865, Rev. Michael Hanley 1867, Rev. B. T. Borg 1869, Rev. P.
Frawley 1870, and Rev. J. H. O'Brien in 1871. Rev. John
Grogan attended Tipton as a station, from Kokomo.

Rev. Francis Lordemann, pastor at Kokomo, attending
Tipton built the first church there in 1874, a small frame
structure 30x40 feet, costing |1,200. At that time the congre-
gation at Tipton consisted of fifteen families. The church
grounds consist of seven lots; three of these, on which the
church and priest's house stand, were secured by Father B.
Kroeger in 1866; the four lots constituting the school grounds,
were secured by Rev. F. G. Lentz, while pastor at Tipton. The
Sisters of St. Joseph erected their convent on four lots, adjoin-
ing the school property.

The Rev. F. G. Lentz became the first resident pastor of
St. John's Church, at Tipton, in July 1876. In 1881 he built

340 The Diocese of Fori Wayne.

an addition 30x30 feet to the church. The church was de-
stroyed by fire, on the evening of December 14, 1885, caused
by a defective flue. Until the completion of the new church
divine services were held, first in one of the school-rooms, and
later, when the school building had been completed, in the
hall upstairs. The corner-stone for the new church was laid,
on the site of the old, by Bishop Dwenger, June 16, 1889.
Father Lentz remained long enough to see the church under
roof, when he was succeeded by Rev. Anthony J. Kroeger, on
June 5, 1890. Father Kroeger completed the church, and it
was dedicated on August 30, 1891. Owing to the sickness of
Bishop Dwenger, Very Rev. J. H. Brammer, V. G., officiated.
The church is built in Gothic style, of brick and stone, has
two towers, one 165 and the other 80 feet high. The dimensions
are 130x60 feet, with a frontage of 85 feet. A life-size statue
of St. John the Baptist is seen over the center entrance door.
The church has three double entrance doors. In 1895, massive
pews of quartered oak were placed, at a cost of $1,500. In
1898, the towers were completed and the brick work was tuck-
pointed, at a cost of |3,000. In 1900, excavation for basement
was made and the steam heating plant installed, for $3,000.
In 1901, the church received electric light, for $600. In the
same year three altars were placed; the main altar costing
$1,000 was donated by Francis Mattingly, one of the side
altars costing $500 was presented by James Shell. In 1903,
a set of stations of the Cross (statuary) was added, the gift of
F. J. Froelich, having cost $800. In the same year two large
transept windows 30x16 feet, one representing the Nativitv
of our Lord and the Adoration by the Magi, the other His
Ascension, were placed at a cost of $1,700. In 1904, the church
was refrescoed, a work of art throughout; the side walls are
done in plain olive green, the ceiling divided into fields con-
tains the twelve Apostles life-size, and over the transept
windows are seen the four Evangelists. The sanctuary espec-
ially is beautifully done. The cost of this work was $2,000.
In 1906, a new pipe organ was installed, at a cost of $3,000.
The school-house, erected by Father Lentz in 1885, was a
two-story brick and stone building, 65x50 feet, with two school-
rooms on the first floor, and the second floor the hall for society
meetings, school entertainments, provided with stage, etc.

The Churches, Continued. 341

The cost was about |5,000. From^ 1885 to 1888, the school
was taught by lay-teachers, after which the Sisters of St. Joseph
took charge. The Sisters resided in a cottage, on the southeast
corner of the school property, until the summer of 1891, when
they moved into their new convent, adjoining the school
property opposite the church. The usual grades are taught,
including high school. The number of pupils is 133.

The first priest's house was built, in 1876, by Father
Lentz. It was a story-and-a-half brick house, with eight small
rooms. In 1897, a new priest's house, a two-story brick and
stone building was erected by Father Kroeger. It is a house
of twelve, well arranged, commodious rooms, with a basement
of five rooms. The building cost only |7,000. The little
frame house, used for a time by the Sisters, is still there, and
answers the purpose of an infirmary, when needed.

The Catholic cemetery consists of two acres, adjoining the
non-Catholic cemetery, southwest of the city limits. It was
bought by Father Lentz, in 1 879 for $150. The church property
is without debt. St. John's Parish has the Emerald Benevolent
Association, organized in 1885, by Father Lentz. This society
merged into the present St. John's Benevolent Association, in
1890, and has a membership of fifty. The Catholic Benevolent
Legion of Indiana, since 1900, with thirty-five members. The
Young Men's Sodality, since 1890, with sixty members. The
Rosary Confraternity, since 1895, with eighty-five members.
The Young Ladies' Sodality, since 1877, with sixty-five mem-
bers. The Holy Angels' Society, since 1906, with nineteen
members. The women's societies look after the needs of the
sanctuary. The number of souls is 675, or 142 families, and
three girls of the parish have entered the convent. The
pastorate of Father Kroeger continued until January 1, 1907,
when he was succeeded by the Rev. Anthony Henneberger.

FOWLER.

SACRED HEART CHURCH.

1875.

The town of Fowler was platted October 27, 1872, and
was named after its founder. About twelve Irish Catholic
famiHes settled in the town. In the fall of 1874, Rev. John

342 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

R. Dinnen, then pastor of Oxford, visited Fowler and made
preparations for the building of a church. Moses Fowler
donated four lots, or one-half block, and Father Dinnen bought
the other half for |100, and donated it. In the spring of 1875,
a frame church was built, 22x40 feet, the furnishing of which
consisted of a plain, little, home-made altar, three dozen
second-hand pews, a set of vestments, linens and a small chalice.
Bishop Dwenger dedicated the church, under the invocation
of St. John, the Evangelist. Succeeding Father Dinnen in
October 1875, Rev. Meinrad McCarthy, O. S. B., had charge
of Oxford and Fowler until October 6, 1877. In September
1875, Bishop Dwenger bought 200 acres of land a half mile
south of Fowler, on which to erect a Catholic College. The
conveyance was made upon condition, that the deed would be
void if the grantee would fail to erect a college building, worth
a specified sum, within one year. Bishop Dwenger left the
matter in the hands of Father McCarthy, who failed to interest
the Abbey of St. Meinrad in the undertaking, and the whole
project fell through.

Rev. John Lang pastor at Oxford, attended to Fowler,
from October 1877 until April 19, 1878. After him Rev. John
Dempsey, from April 19, 1878 to January 1, 1882. He had
charge also of St. Bridget's, as a mission. The congregation,
at this time, numbered about twenty-five families. He built
a priest's house, from his own means, which he occupied during
his stay in Fowler. He fenced the entire church property.
After him, Rev. P. J. Crosson was pastor of Fowler and the
mission St. Bridget's, from January 1, 1882 to June 15th of
the same year. He was succeeded by Rev. C. J. Maujay, from
June 15, 1882 till May 1889. The mission, St. Bridget's, was
now attended from Oxford and Earl Park, a mission, attached
to Fowler. In 1887, however. Earl Park received a resident
pastor, both places having now about forty families each.
Father Maujay made a number of improvements; he purchased
a new reed organ and organized a choir, provided a fine picture
of the patron of the church, a set of new stations, ostensorium,
cope, etc. Up to this time, he lived in a rented house; but in
September, 1882, he bought a little frame house of three rooms
and moved it on the church lots. This dwelling, 20x26 feet,
was enlarged by an addition of 12x12 feet. The ceiling was

The Churches, Continued. 343

eight feet high. This work cost |500. A barn was built,
20x24 feet, in 1883. In 1884, the number of famiHes having
increased to fifty, an addition of 20 feet was made to the church.
In the same year he bought a bell, weighing 1,385 pounds.
In May, 1889, Father Maujay left Fowler to visit his aged
parents in France, once more. For one month the parish was
visited, on Sundays, by Rev. Michael Byrne, assistant at the
Cathedral of Fort Wayne. Rev. A. Henneberger, newly
ordained, was appointed pastor at Fowler and took charge
June 29, 1889. At this time the parish numbered twenty-
eight Irish, twenty Canadian and twelve German families.
The new pastor built a small sacristy to the rear of the church.
He organized St. Ann's Society, for the married women, and
the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin, for the single women, in
1889. In 1891, a frame building, 26x32 feet, was erected for
|800, on the first floor of which a school was opened in Septem-
ber of that year, with an attendance of sixty-five children;
and the second floor became the Sisters' residence. The
Sisters of St. Francis have charge of the school. In 1892 an
addition was made to this building, of 18x20 feet for |400. In
the fall of 1894, it was resolved to build a new church, to cost
about $10,000, and in May of 1895, the corner-stone was laid
by Bishop Rademacher and on Ascension Day, 1896, the
church was dedicated, in honor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The church is built in the Gothic style of architecture, 46x112
feet. The steeple measures 125 feet, the interior elevation of
the church is 38 feet, with a seating capacity of 400. The
total cost, including furniture, was $15,000. The old school-
house was now remodeled and made a priest's house, for $556.80,
and the old church was changed into a two-room school-house,
and the old priest's house, some what enlarged, was added to
the school for a Sisters' residence, costing $491.

In August, 1898, Father Henneberger was transferred to
Attica and Rev. H. A. Hellhake took charge of Fowler, re-
maining until August 12, 1900. The new pastor improved the
church property in several respects. Father Henneberger was
made pastor of Fowler, a second time, from August 12, 1900
to January 1, 1907. Cement walks were put down in 1902.
In the same year a pipe organ was bought for $1,200. In
1903, twelve parishoners donated a set of stations of the Cross,

344 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

at an expense of |700. In 1904, he erected a one-story building,
40x60 feet, for |1,500 to be used for school purposes, since the
old building had become wholly unfit for use. The eight
grades are being taught by three Sisters, and the attendance
is ninety-three. Four girls of the parish have become Sisters
of St. Francis.

The dead of the Sacred Heart Parish were buried in a
cemetery, consisting of two acres of ground, but owing to a
change of roadways, this cemetery was no longer desirable,
and five acres were bought, situated along a public road, in
1895. It has a strong, iron fence and in the center a Cruci-
fixion group, life size.

The Societies here, are: The League of the Sacred Heart,
150 members; St. Ann's Society, for married women, eighty-
four members; the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin, for single
Women, thirty-five members; the Guardian Angel Society, 140
members; the Confraternity of the Precious Blood, for the
relief of the Souls in Purgatory, 100 members; the Catholic
Order of Foresters, St. Anthony's Court, since 1894, fifty
members.

The present pastor Rev. Michael P. Louen took charge of
the Sacred Heart Church at Fowler, on January 1, 1907. The
parish has 131 families, numbering 670 souls. The amount of
debt on the church property is |4,100.

LOGANSPORT.
ST. Bridget's church.

1875.

St. Bridget's Congregation owns a whole square of ground
in Logansport. Bishop Dwenger bought it, July 11, 1873,
from Judge Dykmann, for the sum of |5,000. Prior to that
time the forty-five families, or 125 souls, living in that part of
the city, attended one or other of the existing parishes. Rev.
Bernard Kroeger was the first pastor, who in 1875 erected a
two-story structure, which has since served the purposes both
of church and school. It cost about |8,800. The school was
opened in 1875, and can accommodate about 120 children.
About |350 was spent in furnishing the school. Sisters of
St. Joseph, whose Mother-house is in Tipton, Indiana, teach

The Churches, Continued. 345

the eight grades, and they Hve in rooms annexed to the school.
The priest's house was erected in 1893, by Father Kroeger, at
an expense of |5,272; improvements were made on it from
time to time.

A hall for entertainments, socials and society meetings
was built in 1890, at a cost of |2,500. The church property
is not only free from debt, but has over $3,000 in the treasury.
St. Bridget's has 113 families, numbering 610 souls. Two
Sisters of St. Joseph, conducting the school, have 103 children
in their charge. Four girls of the parish have become mem-
bers of religious communities.

The Rosary Society, for married people, organized in 1875,
has seventy-four members; the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin,
for single men, has twenty-six members, and the same, for
single women, has forty-nine members; the Children of Mary,
thirty-five members; St. Anthony's League, since 1901, has
103 members; and the League of the Sacred Heart, since 1890,
has a membership of twenty-seven.

The following priests have been assistants at St. Bridget's
Church: Rev. John F. Noll, from December 1898 to February
1899; Rev. Henry C. Kappel, from February 1899 to June
1899; Rev. Michael J. Ford, from 1900 to 1902; Rev. James F.
Connelly, from 1902 to 1905; Rev. John F. Kohl, since June
30, 1905.

REMINGTON.

SACRED HEART CHURCH.

1875.

The first priest to visit Remington was the Rev. Joseph
Stephan, who came here from about 1860 to 1870. In 1870,
Rev. Anthony Messmann, residing at Kentland, visited Rem-
ington regularly, celebrating Mass in the house of Timothy
O'Connor, in the western part of town. At the same time
Rev. August Young, residing at Rensselaer, said Mass from
time to time in the home of John Eck, some eight miles north-
west of here. At this time the number of families was about
twenty-five. This state of things continued until 1875, when
a frame church, 70x25 feet, serving the purposes of a school
at the present time, was erected under the superintendence of

ViWhcv Mossnunn. 1 ho church gtoinuis wore bought al
thiVoront times, thtcv lots in 1875, two in KSvSI, and ono and a
h.Ul in \'>(^^. Vvom 1876 till 188<V tho I'ranciscan Kalhors
aitondod Konungton, as a n-jission. Ro\ . John WollingholV,
O. l\ M., Ironi 1S76 visitcci evorv two wcvks. Ironi 187*^.
Kov. (-tuicio Stallo. O. V. M.. and tVoni 1881, Rev. John B.
Schnyxicr. (>. K. M. Ouring his pastorate the sanctuary and
sacnstics wvir added to tho tVanio church. At this time tho
cY>i\gT<^ation numbered aK>ul iovw faniihos.

In 188x^ the Saciwl Heart C'hurch at Remington received
its tirst ifsident pastor in the {XM-son of Rev. J. H. W'erdein.
Ho erected a panvhial i^sidence of seven nx^ms at a cost of
aKuit |!7(V(1. Rev. John B. Bei^j; broke gmund for the pi-esoni
church in 1899, and after two yeai-s tho beautiful church was
dedicatoci to the Sacixxi Heart of Jesus, on July 22, 19()l. 1 he
^^ld franco church was moved acrass the street and converted
into a scluv>l, at an oxjvnse of |l,5cX). The school was openoci
in September 1903, in char^^e of two Franciscan Sisters of
1 af ax-otto, teaching fifty-four children. The church proportx
has a debt of $.^.5(X\

The Sacred Heart Church has the .Married Ladies' Sodality ,
tho ^oung Ladies' Stviality, the St. .\lo\-sius' Society, tho
Children of Mary; as well as the Catholic Order of Forestei-s
and the St, Joseph's Society, The total number of members
is ISO. The parish has ninety-six families, or 450 souls.

The following is a list of the pastors, from 1883 to 1907:
Rev. J. H. Werdein, from 1883 till 1886; Rev. Henry A. Hell-
hake, from May 1886 till August 1893; Rev, M. Kelly, from
August till OctoKT 1893; Rev, J, B, Bei-g, from CVtober U\
1893 till July 4, 1905; Rev. GeoT^^ H. Hortsmann, since Jul\
4, 1905 .

DUNNINGTON,

ST. MARYS CHURCH,
1876.

AKvut four families lv>ught famis and settled in the wild
prairie of the present Ounningtcw and surroundii"jg^, in 1870.
They att»mded .Mass, during the summer season, at Kentland,
a distance of aK>ut sew^teen miles. On July 7, IS74, the

The Churches, Continued. 347

Rev. John R. Dinnen, then pastor of Oxford, came out to the
prairie, for the first time, and organized the new congregation,
calHng it St. Michael's. He secured two lots at Talbott and
put in a foundation for a new church, to be a frame building,
30x40 feet. The congregation furnishing the stone and doing
the hauling, the foundation cost |100. The foundation
finished, the people objected to the building of the church at
Talbott, because it was not centrally located. In the fall of
1875, Rev. Meinrad M. McCarthy, O. S. B., succeeded Father
Dinnen at Oxford and visited Dunnington twice a month,
celebrating Mass in a school-house. The record shows that
he was paid $15 for each visit. By this time the congregation
had increased to fifteen families, Irish, German and French.
On August 12, 1876, Father McCarthy bought the one acre of
land on which the church and house now stand, and opposite
to it, he bought two acres for cemetery, at !f!40 per acre. A
month later he let the contract for a frame church, 30x40 feet,
for |850 and called it St. Columbkill's Church. The first
services were held in the new church on Christmas-day, 1876,
and Father McCarthy continued to visit St. Columbkill's twice
a month, until the fall of 1877, when he was succeeded by
Rev. J. F. Lang.

In 1881, Father Lang built an addition of 24x30 feet to
the church and called it Holy Trinity Church. Hoffman's
Directory of the next year called the place Langton. The
number of families, at this time, was thirty-six. The pastorate
of Father Lang terminated on April 30, 1882. Rev. John
Grogan was the first resident pastor of the congregation, from
June 25, 1882 till the summer of 1884. He built a pastoral
residence, a one-and-a-half story frame structure, at a cost of
|900. Father Grogan was succeeded by Rev. A. J. Strueder,
who remained from the summer of 1884 till May 15, 1888.

On May 15, 1888, Rev. F. J. Lambert, the present pastor,
took charge of the congregation. The number of families had
now increased to seventy, owning three acres of ground, on
one of which stood the church and house, and the other two
acres were used for cemetery. In 1892, Father Lambert bought
the corner lot on to which he moved the old church. Adjoin-
ing the church property, a quarter acre was donated for a new
church. This new church, a substantial frame building of

348 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

125x52 feet, was begun in July 1892 and was ready for occu-
pancy on July 1 St, of the following year. The cost of this church
was $9,000. The architecture of it is Gothic. It was frescoed
for $1,000. The tower is 133 feet high and has a chime of
three bells. The furniture is all antique oak, costing |2,500.
In 1905 the hot air furnaces were discarded, and replaced by
a steam heating plant, at a cost of $1,165. A light plant was
installed this spring, for the church and house, costing $300.
The seating capacity of the church is about 600. Father
Lambert changed the name to St. Mary's Church, the feast of
the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin being the patron feast.

In the summer of 1893, a residence was built for the Sisters,
opposite the church, being a two-story frame building, costing
$1,500. The old church was remodeled into a school-house,
with two commodious school-rooms and a large chapel, in
which Mass is celebrated on week days during the winter
season. In September, 1893, three Sisters of St. Francis
opened the school with an attendance of eighty pupils, teaching
the eight regular grades. The expense of the school is paid
from the revenues of the church. The priest's house was
remodeled in the fall of 1899 and a brick veneered building
was added to it, at a cost of $4,950. It is a two-story building
with basement and attic; it is heated by hot water, is lighted
by acetylene gas and has all modern improvements. The entire
church property has a debt of $2,890.

St. Mary's has: The Catholic Order of Foresters, with a
membership of sixty-four; St. Mary's Altar Society, with sixty
members; St. Joseph's Society, with twenty-five members; the
Purgatorian Society, with 150 members. The number of souls
is 640, consisting of 117 families. The parochial school has an
attendance of seventy-three children and is conducted by two
Sisters of St. Francis, of Lafayette. Two of St. Mary's boys
have become priests and five girls. Sisters.

GARRETT.

SS. PETER AND PAUL's CHURCH.

1876.

A small frame church, 24x26 feet, was built at Garrett
and was opened for divine service, on June 29, 1876. The

I

The Churches, Continued. 349

congregation increasing rapidly, a cruciform addition of 110x50
feet was made to the church, in 1886. This addition, beauti-
fully painted on the interior, with three altars and pulpit,
stained glass windows and a bell cost |5,000. The seating
capacity of the church was 300. A two-story pastoral resi-
dence, at a cost of |1,500, was provided and the first resident
pastor. Rev. August Young, took possession of it, on Novem-
ber 10, 1886. In 1893, another addition had to be built to the
church, increasing the seating capacity to 500, costing $3,300.
This, the SS. Peter and Paul's Church, was dedicated by Bishop
Rademacher, on September 16, 1893.

The present school-house, situated a hundred feet south
of the church on Peter street, was begun in 1888, by erecting
the main building, 54x32 feet, and one wing 18x30 feet. This
portion contains four school-rooms. At that time, 180 pupils
were enrolled and the school was taught by five Sisters of the
Precious Blood. In 1904, the school had become inadequate
for the accommodation of the children to such a degree, that
twenty-four children could not be admitted for want of room.
Accordingly, in 1905, the school was enlarged by completing
it, after the original plan, giving four additional school-rooms.
The building presents a beautiful appearance, built of brick,
trimmed with Bedford stone, with an elevation of two-stories
and basement. In all its appointments it is the most com-
pletely equipped school-house, in Dekalb county. At the
present time, 226 pupils are in attendance. The usual eight
grades are taught and the four grades of high school. Since
1894 a goodly number of pupils have graduated annually. The
school can accommodate 400 children. It is a free school all
expenses being paid by the School Society. Seven Sisters of
the Precious Blood conduct the school.

The congregation has 147 families, numbering 583 souls.
The Sisters' residence was built in 1890 for |2,000.

On the 10th day of January 1897, seven and a half acres
of land were purchased just outside of the city limits, for |800.
This plot of ground was laid out for cemetery, has 750 lots,
beautiful drives and walks; and the total amount spent on it
is about $3,000. The amount of debt on the church property
is $2,550.

350 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

PORTLAND.

CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.

1876.

The first priest, known to have visited Portland, was
Rev. Joseph Dwenger, C. PP. S., later Bishop of Fort Wayne,
who celebrated Mass and preached in the Court House, at stated
intervals. It was visited, as a. station in 1873, by Rev. Paul
Reuter, C. PP. S., from St. Mary's Home, near New Corydon.
He came on horseback and celebrated Mass once a month on
week days, at the home of F. V. Gigandet, about two and one-
half miles northwest of Portland. The first Catholics of this
neighborhood were mostly Irish.

Father Reuter called a meeting of all the Catholics of Port-
land, consisting of about seven families, on April 3, 1875, at
which it was determined to build a church. Everybody,
Catholic and non-Catholic, in Portland and in the neighborhood
of it contributed generously, and in a short time |600 were
secured. A lot was bought on East Walnut street for |25.
From 1876 till 1888 services were conducted, in the church at
Portland, on two Sundays of every month by the Sanguinist
Fathers from Fort Recovery, Ohio, and from St. Mary's Home,
near New Corydon, Indiana. The church was built, in 1876,
by the Rev. George Fleisch, C. PP. S., a frame structure, 28x40
feet, costing $1,185. Two additional lots were bought, in
1888, by Rev. Joachim Baker, at a cost of |1,200, on one of
which stood a small cottage, which is used as the priest's resi-
dence. The Rev. L. A. Eberle, in 1906, remodeled the church
and built an addition of 28x32 feet to the nave of the church,
adding also a new sacristy 15x15 feet, at a cost of 1 1,900.
The seating capacity of the church is about 200. The priest's
house was remodeled and a kitchen, bath room and pantry
added in 1903 by Father Paquet.

The societies are: The Living Rosary Society since 1905
with thirty-two members; the Children of Mary, made up of
boys and girls who have made their first communion, with
twenty members. The number of souls is 180, consisting of
forty families.

Beginning with Rev. Joseph Dwenger, C. PP. S., in the
early 70s up to July 18«8, Portland was attended by Fathers

The Churches, Continued. 351

of the Most Precious Blood: Rev. Paul Reuter, C. PP. S.;
Rev. George Fleisch, C. PP. S., 1876 till January 1878; Rev.
Cosmas Seeberger, C. PP. S., from January 1878 to December
1878; Rev. Aloysius Malin, C. PP. S., from December 1878 to
May 1882; Rev. August Seifert, C. PP. S., from May 1882 to
September 1882; Rev. Joseph Heitz, C. PP. S., from September
1882 to February 1885; Rev. J. O. Misler, C. PP. S., from
February 1885 to November 1885; Rev. M. L. Dentinger, C.
PP. S., from November 1885 to March 1888; Rev. John A.
Nageleisen, C. PP. S., from March 1888 to July 1888; Rev.
Joachim Baker, first resident pastor, from July 1888 to October
1891 ; Rev. Anthony J. Strueder, from October 1891 to October
1894; Rev. Constantine Maujay, from October 11, 1894 to
October 1900; Rev. J. P. Lasher, from November 25, 1900 till
July 1, 1901; Rev. Thomas M. Conroy, from July 1, 1901 to
July 1, 1902; Rev. L. R. Paquet, from July 1902 to February
1904; Rev. Paulinus Trost, C. PP. S., from March 1904 to July
1904; Rev. Lawrence A. Eberle, since July 3, 1904.

The present debt on the church property is |600. The
pastor of Portland has charge of the mission Geneva,

SOUTH BEND.

ST. hedwig's church.

1876.

Polish people have been arriving in South Bend since
1869. Up to 1877 they were part of St. Patrick's Congrega-
ticfn, and worshipped in the old St. Patrick's Church, on west
Division street. Their spiritual wants were attended to by
Polish priests from Chicago and from Otis, then known as
Salem Crossing. Two of these priests were. Rev. Peter Koncz
and Rev. Louis Machdzicki. The number of souls at this
time had increased to 125 families.

On January 1, 1877, Rev. Valentine Czyzewski, C. S. C,
took charge of the congregation, residing at St. Patrick's
parochial residence. The first church, located on Monroe
street, was started in the fall of 1876, and was finished and
blessed on July 1, 1877. It was a frame structure, 83x40 feet,

352 The Diocese of Fort IVayne.

and 24 feet in height. The cost of this church was |3,500.
In 1879, a cyclone totally destroyed this church. The present
church property on Scott street was bought at a cost of |2,325
on January 18, 1880. The present St. Hedwig's Church was
begun on August 12, 1881, and was dedicated April 15, 1883.
The style is the Romanesque, its length 149 feet and the width
sixty-two feet; the main walls being thirty-three feet in height
and the steeple 156 feet. The altars used for several years
were temporary, and the church, including pews, was erected
at an outlay of |33,000. It was entirely remodeled in 1898:
pillars were placed in position to support the roof, steel arched
ceilings were provided, new pews replaced the old ones, together
with decorations of various kinds, amounting in all to $7,300.
In 1891, three very fine altars were donated by the societies
of the church. The St. Hedwig's Society donated the Main
Altar, costing $2,500. The two side altars were donated by
the St. Stanislaus' Society, at a cost of $1,200. The organ
was donated at an expense of $2,500, by the St. Casimir's
Society. The seating capacity of the church is 920.

The first school of brick, containing eight rooms and two
offices, was built in 1884 and was destroyed by fire, on Feb-
ruary 4, 1886. The present school is three-stories in height
and its dimensions are 126x62 feet. It contains twelve school-
rooms, a large hall and two rooms for office purposes. It has
an attendance of 735 children. The school was erected in
1886, and cost $28,000. The interior was entirely repainted
in 1905, at an expense of $600. In the same year, an iron
fence was built around the church property. The school is
taught by eight Sisters of the Holy Cross and five female lay-
teachers. The Sisters reside in St. Joseph's Academy, one
block away from St. Hedwig's school. The original school
building is now used as a society room, and also for choir
practice, as well as by St. Florian's Turners.

The parochial residence is a frame building, and was
moved to the present site in 1884, having been purchased by
Father Czyzewski at a cost of $3,000. An addition was made
to the house in 1884; and the hot water heating apparatus
was provided for it, in 1904. This house is the first parochial
residence and, until it was ready for occupancy. Father
Czyzewski resided with the pastor of St. Patrick's Church,

The Churches, Continued. 353

St. Hedwig's Church has numerous societies: St. Stanis-
laus Kostka's Society, St. CasimiY's, St. Hedwig's, St. Vincent
de Paul's, St. Valentine's, St. Adalbert's, St. Florian's, the
Apostleship of Prayer, the Young Ladies' Holy Rosary Society,
the Children of Mary, the Guardian Angel Society and the
Temperance Society. The number of souls in the parish is
about 4000, or 828 families. There is a debt of .|1 9,000 on the
church property.

Father Czyzewski has been the pastor of St. Hedwig's
Church, since January 1, 1877. In 1896, he bought the lots
for, and organized St. Casimir's Congregation, and in 1898 he
did the same for St. Stanislaus' Parish. He also built churches
at Terre Coupee and Rolling Prairie. Among the assistants,
Father Czyzewski has had, may be mentioned Rev. Michael
Lauth, C. S. C, Rev. A. Zubowicz, C. S. C, Rev. C. Sztuczko,
C. S. C, Rev. R. A. Marciniak, C. S. C, Rev. Casimir Smogor,
C. S. C, Rev. Eligius Raczynski, C. S. C, Rev. Theodore
Jarzynski, C. S. C, Rev. George Kolesinski and Rev. Boniface
Iwaszewski, C. S. C. Three regular and four secular priests
have come from St. Hedwig's Parish and thirty young women
have entered different convents.

CHAPTER XII.

THE CHURCHES — CONTINUED

1878-1887

FRANKFORT — HAMMOND, ST. JOSEPH'S — EARL PARK — GOOD-
LAND — ELWOOD — NORTH JUDSON — RENSSELAER — HARTFORD

CITY — SOUTH BEND — ST. MARY'S — TERRE COUPEE

WANATAH.

FRANKFORT.

ST. MARY's CHURCH.

1878.

The priests, who have had charge of Frankfort from the
beginning to the present time, are the following: Rev. Edward
O' Flaherty, Crawfordsville, 1859; Rev. George A. Hamilton,
Logansport, 1860; Rev. A. B. Oechtering, Delphi, 1861; Rev.
Francis Lordemann, Kokomo, 1874 till 1888; Rev. Leo Molen-
graft, O. F. M., from 1888 till 1890; Rev. Peter A. Welling,
O. F. M., from 1890 till August 1890; Rev. John C. Heitmann,
O. F. M., from August 1890 till August 1891; Rev. Ignatius
M. Wilkens, O. F. M., from August 1891 till July 1892; Rev.
John Blum, from July 1892 till December 24, 1895; Rev.
Angelus Hafertepe, O. F. M., from January till August 1896;
Rev. Aloysius Kurtz, O. F. M., from August 1896 till August
1898; Rev. Samuel Gelting, O. F. M., from August 1, till Sep-
tember 10, 1898; Rev. P. J. O'Reilly, from September 10, 1898
till June 1899; Rev. F. J. Jansen, from June 1899 till October
30, 1906; Rev. William B. Hordeman, since October 30, 1906.

There is no record to show, that Father Badin, or any of
the earUest missionaries visited Frankfort or its vicinity.
Father O' Flaherty was the first to come from Crawfordsville,
in 1859, as well as Father Hamilton, from Lafayette, in the
year following. From the year 1875, Frankfort was attended
once a month. In the beginning, the services were held at
the house of Ignatius O'Leary. A lot 132x150 feet, on the

The Churches, Continued. 355

Jefferson gravel road, was bought in 1878 for |150. A frame
structure, 40x20 feet, was erected on it for a church, and
everything about the church was primitive and inexpensive.
When Father Lordemann could no longer attend Frankfort,
the Bishop gave the Franciscan Fathers of Lafayette charge
of it, from 1888 till 1892, and again from 1896 till 1898.

Rev. John Blum was the first resident pastor, from July 1,
1892 till January 1896. Bishop Dwenger selected the present
location on Walnut and Second streets, 132 feet square, for
|1,500. A Gothic frame structure was erected on it in 1892,
costing $4,000. The dimensions of the church are 72x35 feet.
When Father Blum left, there was a debt of |700. After this
the Franciscan Fathers of Lafayette visited the place twice a
month. During their time an altar, new pews as well as the
frescoing of the church were provided. All the debt had been
paid, when Father O'Reilly took charge, and during his stay
of nine months, he built the present parochial residence, costing
$1,800. He left a debt of |1,000 after him. On June 19,
1906, Father Jansen bought a building, 51x17 feet, and moved
it on the rear end of the church lot. It now serves the purpose
of a hall, and later on may answer for school purposes. The
cost of this improvement was |500. Father Jansen left the
church at Frankfort, not only free from all indebtedness, but
also with some money in the treasury.

An Altar Society has been in existence, since 1874. It is
for married women, and supplies the necessaries of the sanc-
tuary. A Men's Society was organized in 1906, and a School
Society, in 1905. The number of souls is 220, consisting of
forty-two families.

HAMMOND.

ST. Joseph's church.

1879.

The first Catholic families, few in number, who settled on
farms in the Calumet region, near the place now called Saxony,
came in the year 1860. They attended the church in Turkey
Creek. In the year following. Bishop Luers, accompanied by
Rev. Philip Wegemeyer, the pastor at Turkey Creek, visited
these families and celebrated Mass in the home of John L.

356 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Knorzer. Bishop Luers promised them, that Father Wege-
meyer would visit them a few times a year. Up to 1877, these
visits were made by Father Wegemeyer, and by Rev. George
Steiner, of Michigan City. Gradually Hammond began to be
a village twelve families of which were Catholic. These families,
and the other families at Saxony, attended Mass in the resi-
dence of William Klighe. At the solicitation of Rev. F. X.
Baumgartner, pastor at Turkey Creek, M. Towle donated two
lots, on State street near Hohman, in 1879, and in 1880, a
donation of one acre of land, on the corner of Hohman and
Russell streets, was received from Caroline Hohman. A small
frame church 30x60 feet was erected in the summer of 1879,
costing about |1,000; and Mass was celebrated in it, for the
first time, by Father Baumgartner in December of the same
year. Until the spring of 1883, the mission of Hammond was
attended once a month, from Turkey Creek. On August 11,
1881, John Verhofen donated one acre of land, situated on
Hohman street and the Ridge Road, for cemetery purposes.

In the year 1883, a priest's house was erected, costing
about $2,400, of which Father Baumgartner took possession
on April 7, 1883, as the first resident pastor of Hammond. His
useful life came to a close, on May 9, 1885. The Rev. Philip
Rothman, O. F. M., who assisted him during his illness, had
charge of the parish till August 10, 1885. The present pastor.
Rev. Henry M. Plaster, has had charge since August 16, 1885.
On May 30, 1883, Bishop Dwenger visited Hammond, on which
occasion he blessed the church, administered Confirmation,
and also blessed a bell.

Immediately upon his arrival. Father Plaster erected a
one-story building, 24x40 feet, costing $600, for school pur-
poses. School was opened in September of 1885, a lay-teacher
having charge and the attendance being forty pupils. The
following year the Sisters of Providence took charge, and the
school building was increased to double its original size.

In 1886 three acres were added to the cemetery. In the
year 1888, the number of families had increased to such an
extent, that the old church and school no longer sufficed, and
Father Plaster determined to erect a two-story, 50x100 feet,
church and school combination building. This building was
completed at the close of January 1889. The first story con-

The Churches, Continued. 357

tained four large school-rooms, the second story was used for
church purposes, and the cost of the building, including furni-
ture, amounted to about $14,500. The building was dedicated
by Bishop Dwenger,on September 29, 1889. The old school
was remodeled for a Sisters' residence. In 1893, galleries were
built in the church, and the seating capacity increased to 750.
At this time, five acres of ground were secured for a new ceme-
tery for |1,200. At an expense of |7,300, a residence was
built for the Sisters; the building had three-stories and a base-
ment and was completed on December 20, 1894. A belfry
was erected, and a chime of three bells put in, blessed by
Bishop Rademacher. In 1899, an addition was built to the
church and school, 26x75 feet, costing |6,000 and a steam
heating plant was installed for |1,700.

In the year 1890, the Polish members of the congregation
formed St. Casimir's Parish; and in 1896, All Saints' Congre-
gation was organized, German Catholics only remaining with
St. Joseph's Church. In 1901 the pipe organ was bought for
|2,500. In 1902 the sum of $1,800 was expended for five
acres additional to the cemetery. On December 12, 1904,
Rev. H. M. Plaster celebrated his Sacerdotal Silver Jubilee and
the congregation the silver jubilee of its organization, with
great solemnity. In memory of this double jubilee, a new
parochial residence was provided. The building has three-
stories and a basement, complete in every particular, including
furniture, costing $17,000.

The following were the pastors in charge of St. Joseph's
Church: Rev. Philip Wegemeyer, Turkey Creek, from 1858
till 1875; Rev. George Steiner, Michigan City, from 1858 till
1875; Rev. F. X. Baumgartner, Turkey Creek, from 1875 till
1881 ; Rev. Charles Rosenbauer, C. SS. R., from 1881 till spring
1883; Rev. F. X. Baumgartner, from April 7, 1883 till May 9,
1885; Rev. Philip Rothman, O. F. M., from May 9, till August
10, 1885; Rev. Henry M. Plaster, since August 16, 1885.

The following were the assistants at St. Joseph's: Rev.
John Tremmel in 1890; Rev. F. C. Shea, from 1894 till 1896;
Rev. Henry C. Kappel, from August 1897 till March 1899;
Rev. George Lauer, from March 1, 1899 till July 7, 1899; Rev.
John Sand, from July 6, 1899 till July 6, 1901; Rev. Joseph
Abel, from July 11, 1901 till June, 1902; Rev. Francis Koch,

358 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

from June 1902 till October 1903; Rev. Charles F. Keyser from
October 1903 to November 6, 1905; Rev. Bruno Soengen, since
November 15, 1905.

Three boys of the congregation have become Jesuits, and
three more are preparing for the priesthood. Six girls have
become Sisters. The Rosary Society, for married people; the
Sodalities, for single people; the Holy Angels' Society, for
children; the League of the SS. Heart; St. Joseph's Society,
have a total membership of 947. The Foresters have 223
members.

The school is conducted by nine Sisters of Providence,
with an attendance of 367 pupils. St. Joseph's has 281 families,
numbering 1279 souls. The debt on the church property is
17,553.36.

EARL PARK.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST's CHURCH.
1880.

The Rev. John Hoss, pastor of St. Anthony's Church,
attended to the spiritual wants of the Catholics in and about
Earl Park. It was during his time, about the year 1880, that
the first church was built capable of accommodating about
300 persons. The records indicate that the Rev. Joseph
Stephan, Rev. F. X. Baumgartner, Rev. A. Messmann, Rev.
C. Maujay and Rev. Thomas Vagnier, C. S. C, performed
pastoral functions here. The latter was the first resident
pastor at Earl Park, from 1887 till August 1895. The number
of Catholic families at that time was about forty. The pastors,
up to that time, were obliged to live in rented houses. But
when Rev. P. J. Weber took charge he bought three lots east
of the old church and on it erected a priest's house for |5,500
with all modern improvements.

A new church now became a necessity and on September
28, 1902, the corner-stone of this new church was laid. The
architecture of the building is Roman, with two massive towers.
The interior decorations and the furnishings are in harmony
with the architectural style of the building. The dimensions
are generous; the seating capacity will be sufficient for six-
hundred worshippers.

The Churches, Continued. 359

After the new church was ready for service the old church
building was remodeled for a school. In this building there
are three large school-rooms for the children, and eight rooms
for the Sisters. The Sisters of St. Dominic have charge of the
school with an attendance of over 100 children.

GOODLAND.

SS. PETER AND PAUL's CHURCH,
li

Goodland was a mission, from 1872 till October 1903.
The priests, who attended the place, during this time, were
the following: Rev. A. Messmann, Kentland, from 1872 till
1878; Rev. John Hoss, St. Anthony, from 1878 till 1881; Rev.
F. X. Baumgartner, Kentland, from 1881 till 1883; Rev. W.
Conrad Miller, Kentland, from 1 883 till 1 888 ; Rev. A.J. Strueder ,
St. Anthony, from 1888 till 1891; Rev. Joachim Baker, St.
Anthony, from 1891 till 1898; Rev. F. Von Schwedler, St.
Anthony, from 1896 till 1898; Rev. F. J. Bilstein, St. Anthony,
from 1898 till 1900; Rev. G. A. Zern, St. Anthony, from 1900
till October 1903.

Father Zern was the first resident pastor at Goodland,
from October 2, 1903 till August 27, 1905, the date of his death
in St. Joseph's Hospital at Logansport. Rev. Francis A. King,
residing at Goodland was Father Zern's assistant, from June
1902 till August 9, 1903. Rev. Ignatius F. Zircher has been
the pastor at Goodland, since October 10, 1905.

In 1877 Goodland had eight Catholic families. A lot was
purchased, in 1880, and a frame church erected, at a cost of
about |1,000, Father Hoss attending the place at the time.
The priest's house is a very old dwelling, which stood on one
of five lots, purchased in 1902, for |2,400, by Father Zern,
attending the mission at the time.

The present church is a brick edifice, 98x54 feet, with a
seating capacity of 400. The exterior is imitation Gothic and
the interior Roman. It cost about |14,000. The corner-stone
was laid on November 9, 1902, and the church was dedicated,
by Bishop Alerding, on July 12, 1903. The number of souls

360 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

is 325, consisting of 55 families. The debt on the church
property is $4,200.

The Societies are: The Rosary Society, for married
women, forty-four members; St. Aloysius' Sodality, for single
men, twelve members; the Blessed Virgin's SodaHty, for single
women, thirty-five members; the Guardian Angel Society, for
children, twenty-five members.

Morocco is a mission attended from Goodland.

ELWOOD.

ST. Joseph's church.

1881.

Prior to 1868, Elwood was called Quincy. The earliest
record of visits made by priests here, were the visits of Rev.
Michael Clark and Rev. D. Maloney, of Lafayette, and Rev.
FitzMaurice, of Anderson. From 1860 to 1865, Rev. John
McMahon attended it from Anderson. The first Mass was
celebrated in the house of John Buchanan, on the corner of
Main and Sixteenth streets, in 1862. The Catholic population
at that time consisted of half a dozen families, Irish and German,
who were employed on the railroad. The so-called "section-
house," in which Mass was frequently said, may still be seen
on South B street. Aside from these, Mass was celebrated
also in the houses of Bernard Bauer, Gustave Kramer and
Bridget Smith. Father McMahon bought two lots of ground
on South A street, and his successor, Rev. J. B. Crawley, who
attended Elwood from 1865 till 1884, from Anderson, erected
the first church. It was a brick structure, 25x40 feet, with a
sacristy 10x10 feet, and was dedicated by Bishop Dwenger, in
the fall of 1881. The cost was $1,500. Rev. F. C. Wiechmann
attended the Elwood mission from 1884 to 1889, from Anderson,
on the fourth Sunday of each month. On July 29, 1889,
Elwood received its first resident pastor, in the person of Rev.
B. Biegel. At this time Elwood had a population of 800, with
twenty Catholic families; but, owing to the discovery of natural
gas, the town increased rapidly.

A six-room priest's house, costing $1,000, was built next

The Churches, Continued. 361

to the little church, upon Father Bdegel's arrival. In 1891,
five acres of ground, located about one mile south-west of the
town, were bought for a Catholic cemetery, at a cost of $600.
In 1892, the church was enlarged to three times its size, and
improved at a cost of $2,500. A bell also was bought that
year.

A one-room frame building, 26x40 feet, was put up north
of the church, for $650. This was the beginning of the parish
school, taught by a lay-teacher, Father Biegel hearing the
classes in the priest's house. A second room, 26x25 feet,
costing $550, was added in 1893. Eight lots adjoining the
church property were secured in 1894, for $1,000. In Sep-
tember of this year, the Sisters of St. Joseph took charge of
the parochial school. A residence was needed for the Sisters,
who were living in a rented house across the street; and in
1896, the pastor gave them his own residence. A new twelve-
room, frame priest's house was erected for $3,000, and the
house-warming took place on October 3, 1896. In 1898, the
school was damaged by fire, but the loss was fully covered by
insurance, and a second story with two rooms was added.

The corner-stone of the new church was laid on October 8,
1899, by the Very Rev. J. H. Guendling, Administrator of the
diocese. The basement has an elevation of twelve feet. The
building was enclosed in 1900, and on July 14, 1901, the new
church was solemnly dedicated by Bishop Alerding. The
church is built of brick and Bedford stone, in the Romanesque
style of architecture. It is 138x56 feet, one of the towers
having an elevation of 138 feet, the other 101 feet. The
interior elevation is forty-one feet. It is heated by steam and
has a $3,500 organ.

In order to gain more school-room, the old church building
was converted into a school, and the Sisters' house was en-
larged, at a cost of $1,500, in 1901. Large sized, full relief
Stations of the Cross costing $1,500 were secured, in 1902: a
Sacred Heart altar and baptismal font in 1903, for $300: and
the basement of the church was paved with cement, for $600.

In 1905, a livery stable across the street from the church
property was bought for $3,500, and shortly after, a house
and lot adjoining the church property on the west, for $600.
A creek north of the church property, which had been a source

362 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

of annoyance to the parish, received a retaining wall, 280 feet
long, at a cost of |1,500, paid jointly by the city and the
parish. The church grounds were low and swampy, and it
took 10,000 yards of earth, to put the lots in proper condition,
at an expense of |1,000. Three hundred and fifty feet of
cement sidewalk, ten feet wide, cost |800, in 1906. The church
grounds have a frontage of 350 feet, with a depth of 228 feet.
There is a debt of $6,700 on the church property.

Seven Sisters of St. Joseph teach the eight grades and a
course of high school. The school has an attendance of 264
pupils. There are two school buildings, each containing four
rooms, furnishing ample accommodations: but the intention is
to erect a school building, to harmonize with the church, in
the not distant future.

St. Joseph's Church has the Rosary Society for the Married
Ladies; the Young Men and the Young Ladies' Sodahty, for
the young people; the Holy Name Society, for the Married
Men; the Society of the Children of Mary, and of the Infant
Jesus for the children. The Apostleship of Prayer was estab-
lished, in 1894. The Catholic Benevolent Legion since 1893,
the Ancient Order of Hibernians since 1898, the Catholic Order
of Foresters since 1900, the Knights of Columbus since 1903,
the Ladies Auxiliary of the Ancient Order of Hibernians since
1898 and the Ladies Catholic Benevolent Association since
1903. The aggregate membership of these organizations is
1148. These societies have commodious and well furnished
quarters, with a reading room and elegant apartments for
innocent recreation. One young man has entered the Brother-
hood of Mary, two young men are at present theological
students, and four girls have become Sisters of St. Joseph.

NORTH JUDSON.

SS. CYRIL AND METHODIUS' CHURCH.
1881.

North Judson dates its beginning to 1859, when the P. C.
C. &: St. L. railroad was built. Not, however, until 1871 were
any Catholics to be found here. In this year, and the year

The Churches, Continued. 363

following, we find only two Catholic families. The progress
of Catholicity was slow, and it was not until the year 1881,
that an effort was made by the Catholics to erect a place of
worship. Prior to this, the Fathers of the Most Precious Blood
visited the few Catholic families infrequently, celebrating Mass,
most probably, in a building situated on East Lane street.
North Judson's first hotel. The present site was donated by
Louis and Jacob Keller.

In the year 1874, the migration of Bohemian families to
Railroad and Wayne townships began. Some eight or ten
years later, the Bohemian population increased, and today this
section has a larger percentage of Bohemians than anv other
of the State. At the time of the building of the church, in
1881, a list shows that the Catholics numbered about twenty-
four families, with the Rev. George Fleisch, C. PP. S., their
visiting pastor. Irregular visits were made by the Fathers of
the Most Precious Blood, of whom the best remembered, by
the members of the parish, are the Rev. John Frericks and
Rev. Alphonse Grussi. Under the administration of the latter,
the congregation came into possession of a site for a cemetery,
donated by Jacob Jachim. In 1884, Father Frericks, C. PP. S.,
dedicated the new cemetery. In 1885, the Rev. Dominic
Shunk, C. PP. S., residing at San Pierre, attended to North
Judson. He was succeeded by the Rev. Casimir Kobylinski,
in the year 1891, who was the first resident pastor. Father
Kobylinski remained for two years until the appointment of
his successor in the person of the Rev. John F. Kubacki. In
July 1894, Father Dominic again attended to the spiritual
wants of the parish. During the pastorate of Father Koby-
linski, the site of the present rectory was secured.

In 1896, Father Kubacki was succeeded by Rev. Peter A.
Kahellek, who in return was succeeded by Rev. Joseph Bolka,
in July 1899. On November 25, 1904, Father Bolka was
transferred to East Chicago and the Rev. Felix Thomas Seroc-
zynski, given charge. The Rev. C. F. Keyser has been the
pastor since June 8, 1907. North Judson has ninety-six
Catholic families, numbering 438 souls. The church property
is free from all indebtedness. The League of the Sacred Heart
has a membership of 100. San Pierre is a mission attended
from North Judson.

364 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

RENSSELAER.

ST. Augustine's church.

■1882.

The history of St. Augustine's Church and of the Diocesan
Orphan Asylum are one and the same, from 1865 until 1887,
when the parish was established in Rensselaer, and when the
orphans were removed to Lafayette and to Fort Wayne. In
July 1882, Rev. M. Zumbuelte began to build the present
brick church at Rensselaer, 37x80 feet, at a cost of about
$5,000. It was completed and dedicated, on January 18,
1885. At that time the number of souls was about 150. Six
lots of the present church grounds were bought by Bishop
Luers. Rev. George L. Willard was pastor, from March to
October 1888. It was in October of 1888, that the Bishop
gave the Fathers C. PP. S., charge of St. Augustine's Congrega-
tion, at Rensselaer, and the first of these Fathers appointed
pastor was Rev. Anthony Dick, C. PP. S., who had charge
until July, 1891. After him came Rev. Stanislaus Neiberg,
C. PP. S., who gave the church new windows, new altars, a
beautiful chandelier and frescoed the interior, paying also a
debt of |600, which still rested on the church. While pastor
of St. Augustine's, Father Neiberg was also professor at St.
Joseph's College. Rev. Francis Schalk, C. PP. S., was the
pastor from September 1896 till February 1897. He was
succeeded by Rev. Bernard Dickmann, C. PP. S., who on
account of sickness went south. After him came Rev. Edward
Jakob, C. PP. S., who remained until June 1899. Rev. Charles
Notheis, C. PP. S., was pastor for three months only, from
June till September 1899. Rev. Thomas Meyer, C. PP. S.,
has been the pastor of St. Augustine's Church, since September
1899.

During Father Meyer's pastorate a two-story, brick school-
house was built, arid was dedicated in August, 1903, by Bishop
Alerding and was opened in September, of the same year,
with an attendance of about sixty-seven children. The Sisters
of the Most Precious Blood have charge of the school. In July
1905 the six lots adjoining the church property were bought
for |3,500. The house on one of these lots is now the Sisters'
residence. The church grounds comprise an entire block.

The Churches, Continued. 365

The church property has a debt of |1,000. The congregation
has 109 famihes, numbering 562 souls. Sixty-one children
attend the school, taught by two Sisters. Two hundred and
seventy-three parishioners are members of one or other of the
societies: The Christian Mothers', the St. Aloysius', St. Rose's,
the Holy Childhood, the Catholic Foresters, and the Lady
Foresters.

HARTFORD CITY.

ST. JOHN evangelist's CHURCH.
1883.

It appears, that Rev. John Ryan, residing at Lagro, visited
Hartford City in the year 1856. He celebrated Mass, as did
those priests who came after him up to the year 1883, in the
homes of Daniel O'Connell, John Hollisey, Denis Noonan, John
McManamon, Jerry and Patrick Kirby, Denis Shay, Jerry
Cashman, John Collins, John Trant, John Hogan, Thomas
Maxwell and John Dougherty. After Father Ryan, came Rev.
Lawrence Lamoor, Rev. Martin Noll, Rev. William Schmidt,
Rev. P. M. Frawley, Rev. Michael F. Kelly, Rev. James F.
Twigg, Rev. Anthony Strueder and Rev. John Grogan. These
priests were visiting, not resident pastors.

Father Grogan, who attended Hartford City twice a month,
built the first church, in 1883. It was a plain frame building,
but it answered the needs of the poor and small congregation
at that time. The discovery of natural gas brought many
manufacturing interests to Hartford City, and also increased
the number of Catholics there. Bishop Rademacher sent Rev.
Charles Dhe to Hartford City, as its first resident pastor, in
March 1894. He proceeded at once to build a pastoral resi-
dence. The frame church was in a delapidated condition and
stood in need of repairs and improvements. But it soon
became apparent, that a new church must be built to accom-
modate the congregation. In the fall of 1897 ground was
broken for the foundation, and on April 24, 1898 the new
church was dedicated, in the presence of several thousand
visitors from the surrounding country. Pontifical Mass was
celebrated by Bishop Rademacher, Rev. J. F. Delaney, of
Fort Wayne, preaching the sermon. In the afternoon, the

366 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Bishop administered the sacrament of confirmation to forty-
two persons.

The present St. John's Church is a brick structure, of
Gothic architecture, the spire rising to a height of 100 feet.
The seating capacity is 350. The ground, on which the church
and the other buildings stand, comprises one-half of a block.
On this ground stand St. John's Church, the Holy Family
School, the pastoral residence and the Sisters' house. The
school was erected in 1904 costing, inclusive of furnishings,
|8,000. It is a two-story building, 60x60 feet, with four
school-rooms and will accommodate 160 children. Three
Sisters of Providence have charge of the school, attended by
118 children, and the usual eight grades are being taught.
They reside in the house erected by Father Dhe, upon his
arrival in Hartford City, in 1894. The present pastoral resi-
dence was erected, by Father Dhe, in 1904, costing, every-
thing included, |6,000.

St. John's has ninety-two families, numbering 436 souls.
The amount of indebtedness on the church property at the
present time is |7,800.

Rev. Charles Dhe had charge of Hartford City and its
mission, from March 1894 to July 11, 1906, since which date
the Rev. John F. Noll is the resident pastor. Since his advent
to the parish he has made a number of repairs and improve-
ments, amounting to several hundred dollars.

The societies of the parish are: The Holy Name Society,
for married and single men, now being organized; the Altar
Society, for married women, sixty-six members; the Sodality
of the Blessed Virgin, for single women and girls, fifty-two
members; the Holy Angels' Society, for children, sixty-three
members; St. Aloysius' Society, for boys, sixteen members;
and a Dramatic Club.

SOUTH BEND.

ST. Mary's church.

1883.

There were some German Catholic families living in South
Bend, as early as 1850. They attended Mass at Notre Dame,
and later at St. Joseph's Church on the East side of St. Joseph's

The Churches, Continued. 367

river. When St. Patrick's Church was built on West Division
street, the Germans contributed tTDwards it and worshipped
there. The Rev. Joseph Carrier, C. S. C, was probably the
first priest to preach to the German Catholics in their mother
tongue, at St. Patrick's Church. Several attempts were made,
at different times, to organize and form a German parish, but
for various reasons these efforts were unsuccessful. While
attending St. Patrick's Church, the German Catholics organized
the St. John's Benevolent Society, on March 25, 1879. This
society induced Bishop Dwenger, to secure for the German
Catholics the services of Rev. Paul Kolopp, C. S. C, a newly
ordained priest, who, having charge of the German Catholic
element, resided with the pastor of St. Patrick's Church. He
came as such in June 1880, but remained only for a short time.

At last, in February 1882, the Rev. Peter Johannes,
C. S. C, was appointed the first regular pastor for the Germans
in South Bend. The ground, on which St. Mary's Church
stands, measures 99x221 feet, and was bought in July 1882,
for the sum of |2,100. On August 22, 1883, the corner-stone
was laid for the new church, which was given the name of the
Assumption Church. The first services were held in it on
Christmas, 1883, and Bishop Dwenger solemnly dedicated it,
on May 11, 1884. It is a plain frame structure, 76x36 feet,
with a sacristy on the rear and cost about |4,500. The cupola
on the church has a small bell in it, but an extra bell tower
was erected, near the sacristy, for a large bell donated by
George Dotterwick. The congregation, at this time, consisted
of about fifty families.

A school was opened in the sacristy of the church, in
January 1884, with an attendance of twenty-seven children.
The accommodations being insufficient a one-story frame
building, 25x50 feet, was erected and ready for use by Novem-
ber, 1884. In the summer of 1891, another story was added
to this building, thus affording four class-rooms, with accom-
modations for about 240 children. Sisters of the Holy Cross
have been teaching the school, from the beginning.

In the mean time, the church had been fitted up with
three Gothic altars, different statues, pews and a small gallery
with a reed organ. A Redemptorist Father gave the first
mission in this church in September, 1886. One night, during

368 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

the mission, a dreadful hail storm swept over South Bend,
and destroyed every window on the north side of St. Mary's
Church; and the rain fell in such torrents, that the people
could not leave the church, till two o'clock in the morning.
Since 1888, a number of Hungarians settled in South Bend,
and Father Johannes took special interest in their spiritual
welfare, until a parish of their own was organized.

Up to August 1895, Father Johannes resided with the
pastor of St. Patrick's Church; but it was then determined to
purchase the house and lot adjoining St. Mary's Church, for a
pastoral residence. The lot measures 50x221 feet, the house
is a one-story frame building, with six rooms and both cost
|3,000. A kitchen and bath-room have been added since.
In the course of time, a hot air furnace was put in the church,
sewer connections were made for the house and school, and
the streets improved. Extensive improvements however were
made in 1903, in preparation for the Silver Jubilee of Father
Johannes; stained glass windows, two large chandeliers, a new
pipe organ, redecoration of the church, painting of all the
buildings, interior renovation of the parochial residence — all
this was done and paid for.

The Silver Jubilee of the beloved pastor took place on
October 12, 1903, and it was a great day ever memorable in
the history of the parish. But Providence abruptly terminated
the useful life of Father Johannes, for on the night of October
27, 1904, having suffered a stroke of apoplexy, he was found
dead in his bed in the morning. His successor. Rev. J. M.
Scherer, C. S. C, took charge of St. Mary's Church on All
Saints day 1904, and has continued to be its pastor to the
present time. He found the congregation indebted, to the
amount of $2,600. He found also that many repairs had to
be made necessitating an outlay of |300, leaving a balance at
the end of 1905 of less than |2,000 indebtedness. In 1906
the gallery of the church was enlarged, to accommodate the
children. The seating capacity of the church is 425. The
present debt on the church property is |1,700. The number
of souls is about 800, or 190 families.

Societies of the parish are: The Sacred Heart Altar
Society for Married Ladies; the Young Ladies Sodality; the
Guardian Angel Society; the St. John's Benevolent Society;

The Churches, Continued. 369

the Catholic Knights of America; the Uniformed Rank C. K.
of A. ; the St. Aloysius Young Mens' Society. The aggregate
membership is 346. Three boys of the parish have become
priests and two girls sisters.

The parochial school is conducted by four Sisters of the
Holy Cross, with an attendance of 153 pupils.

TERRE COUPEE.

ST. STANISLAUS' CHURCH.

i;

The emigration of Polish Catholic settlers in Terre Coupee,
and the surrounding country, began in about 1870, in con-
sequence of Russian and Prussian persecution in Poland. As
a station Terre Coupee was visited by Rev. Valentine Czy-
zewski, C. S. C, Rev. F, X. Szulak, S. J., and Rev. Ludwig
Madgzicki, C. R., celebrating Mass in the woods and in log
cabins.

The first church was a small frame structure, 60x30 feet,
built by Father Czyzewski in 1884, at a cost of $1,800. As a
mission, Terre Coupee was attended once a month by priests
residing, either at Notre Dame, or South Bend. The names of
Rev. Alexander Kirsch, C. S. C, Michael Lauth, C. S. C, Rev.
V. Czyzewski, C. S. C, appear on the records. The first resi-
dent pastor of Terre Coupee was Rev. W. Zborowski, during
whose pastorate, in 1888, one and a half acres of ground were
purchased for |185.50. He was succeeded by Rev. George
Kolesinski from January 1894 until May 1, 1901, when Rev.
Alexander Buechler took charge and is the pastor at the present
time. During his pastorate, in 1903, the present church was
commenced and was dedicated, in 1906. It is built in the
Gothic style of architecture, has Gothic altars, confessional,
pulpit, altar-railing and pews. The cost of the church was a
little less than |23,000. The seating capacity is 460.

The old church was used also as a school for fifteen years,
the Blessed Sacrament being removed to the sacristy during
school hours. Since the erection of the new church, the old
church is used for school purposes exclusively. When Terre

370 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Coupee was a mission, Brothers of the Holy Cross taught the
school. At present one lay-teacher has charge of seventy-
three pupils.

The priest's house wa§ built in 1888, by Father Zborowski
and has been improved by Father Buechler, by the installation
of an electric light plant, which gives light also to the church
and school. The church property has a debt of |8,000. The
congregation numbers about 538 souls, or 139 families.

St. Stanislaus' Parish has the St. Stanislaus Kostka's
Society, for the Men, since 1901; the Sacred Heart League,
since 1890, for the Married Women, and the Young Ladies'
Sodality, since 1902; with an aggregate membership of 136.
The mission Rolling Prairie is attended from Terre Coupee
every Sunday.

WANATAH.

MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD CHURCH.

1887.

The Church of the Most Precious Blood, in Wanatah,
was established in the year 1887. The number of souls at
that time was about thirty families, four-fifths German and
one-fifth Irish. Prior to 1887, these Catholics were members
of St. Martin's Church, at Schimmels. Rev. Dominic Shunk,
C. PP. S., was made the first pastor in June, 1887, and remained
until February 1897. The present church was built by him,
and dedicated by Bishop Dwenger on November 12, 1887. It
is a frame structure, 35x80 feet, with a seating capacity of
about 350. It was built at an outlay of $6,000. In 1888,
Father Shunk built a large frame school-house, with which a
residence for the Sisters was connected, at a cost of |2,500.
The Sisters, C. PP. S., had charge of the school up to June
1904, when the school was discontinued, the attendance of
pupils at the time being only about sixteen. In the same
year. Father Shunk built the priest's house, for |1,800. During
Father Shunk's pastorate, Schimmels, SanPierre, Walkerton,
Westville, Hamlet, Wheatfield, North Judson were missions
and Knox a station, attended from Wanatah.

The Churches, Continued. 371

The second pastor was Rev. Edward Jakob, C. PP. S.,
having charge also of Schimmels, Walkerton, and Hamlet,
The third pastor was Rev. Raymond Vernimont, C. PP. S.,
from September 22, 1897 to September 8, 1898, having charge
of the same missions. On September 8, 1898, Bishop Rade-
macher appointed Rev. Adam M. Buchheit pastor at Wanatah,
with Schimmels, Walkerton and Hamlet for missions. He
remained until November 21, 1906, being transferred to St.
John, in Lake county. Rev. John Rech had charge of
Wanatah and its mission Schimmels, till June 8, 1907, when
Rev. John Oberholz was appointed pastor.

Until 1887, Rev. Michael O'Reilly of Valpairaso said
Mass once a month, on week days, at Wanatah in Patrick
Lyons' house for the Irish Catholics living at Wanatah.

The church grounds comprise forty-three and a half acres.
Two acres of this were donated by the Hon. M. Tucker a non-
Catholic, on which to build a church, but on the day of the
dedication of the church, November 12, 1887, the same gen-
erous gentleman donated the other forty and a half acres. The
lot opposite the church, used for a hitching place, was donated
by Roman Cruse, a member of the congregation. David
Condon gave $300 for the erection of a school. The debt at
present is |2,250. The number of families is forty-two, aggre-
gating 194 souls.

The Church Societies are: the Apostleship of Prayer,
established 1905; the Young Ladies' Sodality of the Immacu-
late Conception, March 13, 1905; the Christian Mothers', Octo-
ber 1901; and the Archconfraternity of the Most Precious
Blood, with a membership of 154, October 27, 1901. Six
girls of the parish became members of three different sister-
hoods.

The mission Schimmels is attended from Wanatah.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE CHURCHES — CONTINUED

1888-1897

HAMMOND, ST. CASIMIR'S — EAST CHICAGO, ST. MARY'S — FORT

WAYNE, ST. Patrick's — whiting — Michigan city, st.

STANISLAUS' — GAS CITY — ALEXANDRIA — DUNKIRK — EAST
CHICAGO, ST. STANISLAUS' — LAFAYETTE, ST. LAWRENCE'S —
SOUTH BEND, SACRED HEART — HUNTINGTON, ST. MARY'S —
HAMMOND, ST. JOHN BAPTIST's.

HAMMOND.

ST. casimir's church.
1890.

In 1890, Rev. U. Raszkiewicz, of Otis, assisted by an
active committee of eight, undertook the task of forming the
St. Casimir's Congregation, which consists exclusively of Polish
Catholics. At that time it was composed of about fifty families
and a few single persons. Six lots were bought at $300 each,
and two lots were donated. A frame building of 90x46 feet,
was erected at a cost of $10,000. This building was to serve
the purposes of church, school and priest's residence. The
first resident pastor was Rev. C. Kobylinski, now of St. Paul,
Minnesota, under whose pastoral administration the debt on
the church property was reduced to $800.

The present pastor, Rev. P. A. Kahellek took charge of
the congregation on July 2, 1897, He paid off the remaining
debt, and made many necessary improvements. St, Casimir's
enjoys the distinction of having the first pipe organ of any
church in Hammond. The main altar was remodeled, two
side altars were added, as well as confessional and other orna-
ments of the sanctuary, at a cost of $2,000. Father Kahellek
also bought an additional lot for $300. The long benches
were replaced by modern school desks, and the necessary school

The Churches, Continued. 373

supplies furnished. An additional school-room was prepared,
and the eighty children were taught by two female lay-teachers
until 1901, when the Sisters of St. Francis of Lafayette took
charge. At the present time the attendance is 137, taught by
three Sisters. The Sisters reside in the rooms formerly occupied
by the pastor.

The pastoral residence, a commodious brick building, was
erected in 1901, at a cost of $3,000. In 1905, the church was
frescoed. The debt on the church property is $2,400. St.
Casimir's Parish has 114 families, or 597 souls. The societies
are: St. Joseph's Society for married men, thirty-two mem-
bers; the Rosary Society for married wornen, fifteen members;
St. Aloysius' Society for single men, nineteen members; the
Rosary Society for single women, fifteen members; the Guardian
Angels' Society for children, seventy-eight members.

EAST CHICAGO.

ST. Mary's church.

1890.

East Chicago was founded in the year 1889. The Rev.
H. M. Plaster, of St. Joseph's Church at Hammond, offered
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, for the first time in East Chicago,
in the Todd Opera House and continued to do so until the
church was completed, in the fall of 1890. At that time East
Chicago had from thirty-five to forty Catholic families. The
Land Company donated six lots, and the parish bought three
more for $900, and in the year 1902 the Rev. George Lauer
bought five additional lots, at a cost of $2,000, which gives the
church property a frontage on three streets, Forsyth Avenue,
One Hundred Forty-Fourth street, and Magoun Avenue.

A frame church was built and completed in the fall of the
year 1890. The architecture is Gothic and the building with
its furnishings cost $3,500. The condition of the parish and
church, as we find it in 1890, continued practically for ten
years, owing to the small number of people who belonged to
the parish. The priests who had charge of it during this time
were: Rev. H. M. Plaster 1890, from Hammond; Rev. John
Tremmel, assistant, attended a short time; Rev. F. G. Lentz,
attended four months till January 26, 1891; Rev. M. J. Byrne,

374 The Diocese of Fort IVayne.

till 1894 from Whiting; Rev. F. Koslowski, from 1894 till 1898,
from Hammond; Rev. H. C. Kappel, assistant at Hammond,
attended from the fall of 1898 till March 1899; Rev. George
Lauer, pastor since March 1899.

When Father Lauer took charge, he found the property
in a dilapidated condition, with a debt of $2,700. He made
the necessary repairs and added a sanctuary with two sac-
risties to the church, increasing the seating capacity to 256.
The whole interior of the church was furnished and decorated,
adding two new side altars. In 1901, Father Lauer built a
two-story frame school-house, with four rooms, to accommodate
200 children, at a cost of |3,200. The Sisters of Providence
of St. Mary-of-the- Woods have charge and the usual grades
are taught. The first priest's house, a one-story eight-room
frame building, erected in 1899 for $2,000, is now occupied by
the Sisters. The house, occupied at present by the pastor, is
a substantial and commodious two-story building, erected in
1902, at an expense of $5,550.

The debt on the church property is $10,800. The number
of souls is 550, consisting of 122 families, and the number of
children, attending school, is 220, taught by four Sisters of
Providence.

St. Mary's Parish has the Young Ladies' Sodality, organ-
ized in 1899; the Rosary Society, in 1900; the Purgatorian
Society, 1901; the Sacred Heart League, in 1902; the Catholic
Order of Foresters, in 1899; the Ancient Order of Hibernians,
1902, and the L. A. O. H., in 1904; the Holy Angels' Sodality;
the Women Catholic Order of Foresters. The total member-
ship of these organizations is 510.

FORT WAYNE.

ST. Patrick's church.

1890.

In the year 1886, a school was opened in what was known
as "The Bond Building." It was established for children,
who, on account of the distance, could not attend the Cathedral
School. The opening of this school of two rooms may be con-
sidered the beginning of St. Patrick's parish.

The Churches, Continued. 375

In 1889 Bishop Dwenger bought four lots on Fairfield
avenue, from Peter Owens, whose' dwelling house was con-
verted into a school of four rooms. In September, of the
same year, the pupils were transferred from "The Bond Build-
ing" to these new quarters, henceforth known as "St. Patrick's
School." In October, 1889, Bishop Dwenger formed the new
congregation of St. Patrick's, and gave them the Rev. Thomas
M. O'Leary, as pastor.

Bishop Dwenger was prevailed upon to locate the new
church where it now stands, but, before the lots could be
secured. Father O'Leary died within three weeks after his
appointment. A month later Bishop Dwenger donated the
property on Fairfield avenue to the new congregation and
appointed the Rev. Joseph F. Delaney pastor, to succeed
Father O'Leary.

Four lots of the present site had been secured in the mean
time, and Father Delaney at once purchased the two remaining
lots, thus completing the half square fronting on Dewald street.
In 1905 Father Delaney secured the seventh lot opposite the
church.

The corner-stone of the new St. Patrick's Church was
laid on May 20, 1890, by Bishop Dwenger, and on November
22, 1891, the church was dedicated by the Vicar General,
Father Brammer. The church is of Gothic design, 167 feet in
length, with a frontage of ninety-four feet. The spire rises to
a height of 185 feet. The interior decorations are beautiful,
the furnishings complete in every detail, and the seating
capacity is 800. The total cost, including furnishings, was
$59,000.

The school, with nine large well equipped school-rooms,
and an assembly hall, was built in 1891. The building is
85x72 feet and affords room for more than 500 pupils. The
cost was $14,500. Improvements were made on it in 1887,
and again in 1890, aggregating an additional cost of $2,000.
The Sisters of Providence, from St. Mary-of-the-Woods, have
had charge of the school from the beginning. The number of
teachers has increased from six to sixteen, and the number of
pupils from 175 to 480. Eight grades are taught in the paro-
chial school; but in 1901, at a cost of $14,000, Father Delaney
erected St. Catharine's Academy, adjoining the school, wherein

376 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

a High-school and a Commercial Course for the pupils, desiring
to fit themselves for a business career, are being conducted.

The original parochial residence, erected in 1891 at a cost,
of |3,800, having become too small, was remodeled and en-
larged, in 1906, at a cost of |1 1,000. Th lot opposite the
church, on Harrison street, will at a later date have on it a
Parish Hall. The church property is out of debt, and has a
cash balance of |3,000 in the treasury.

St. Patrick's Church has Sodalities for married men, with
223 members, for young men, with 206 members, and for boys,
with ninety-two members; and it has Sodalities for young
women, with 268 members, and for girls, with 306 members,
together with a Living Rosary Society, with 430 members, and
the Guardian Angel Society, with 306 members. Benevolent
organizations of the parish are: St. Joseph's Society, Indiana
League, with thirty-seven members, the Ladies' Catholic Benev-
olent Association, with ninety members, and the Ladies'
Auxiliary A. O. H. with seventy-three members. The above
Sodalities and Church Societies, aside from the spiritual pur-
poses for which they were organized, are also a great help to
the pastor in the work of up-building the parish.

The parish has 476 families. The number of souls is
2064. Six boys of the parish have become priests, and twenty-
three girls have entered religious communities. George P.
Gordon deserves special mention since through his devoted-
ness and energy all the original church property of St. Patrick's
was acquired.

The assistant priests at St. Patrick's Church, in the order
given, were: Revs. Edward F. Barrett, Frederick Dandurand,
Patrick J. Crawley, Thomas A. Mungovan, Rev. Edward J.
Mungovan, and Rev. James Durham, since June 8, 1907.

WHITING.

SACRED HEART CHURCH.
1891.

The Rev. M. J. Byrne visited Whiting, from East Chicago,
for the first time on February 1, 1891. He found there a con-
gregation of about twenty families, and some 100 single men.

The Churches, Continued. 377

clamoring for a church. Prior to this, Rev. F. H. Joseph
Kroll had visited Whiting, and had started a subscription Hst
with about fifty names on it, and had secured five lots on
Center street, one of them donated by Colonel Forsyth and
the other four bought for |400 each. Father Byrne bought
five additional lots, at the same price. Ground for the new
church was broken on March 19, 1891. The church was 50x35
feet. It received a Main Altar and two side Altars, and was
ready for dedication, which took place on May 24, 1891, the
Vicar General, Father Brammer, officiating. Before Whiting
had a church. Father Kroll, from Chesterton, had celebrated
Mass for the first time in a pavilion, and after that in a school-
house in Oklahoma, and in a hall over Green's saloon. In
September, 1891, Father Byrne erected the new Orient Hall,
which was destroyed by fire on March 31, 1897, the pastor
settling with the insurance company for $762. Statues of the
Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph were provided in 1891, and in
September, 1892, the Vicar General, Father Brammer, blessed
a 1000 pound bell, naming it St. Matthias. Confirmation was
administered for the first time in Whiting by Bishop Rade-
macher of Nashville, on October 16, 1892.

The parochial school was opened on September 3, 1895,
in the old Orient Hall which had in it two school-rooms. The
Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the- Woods had charge.
The attendance on the first day was 150 children. After the
destruction of the Orient Hall by fire in 1897, Father Byrne
built a two-story, brick school-house, with three large school-
rooms on the first floor, and a large hall on the second. At
the same time a two-story frame building was erected for the
Sisters' dwelling. And, also was built, a two-story brick
structure with all the modern improvements, for a pastoral
residence. . Father Byrne was removed from Whiting, in August
1898, and was succeeded by Rev. Charles Thiele. The new
pastor found Whiting to consist of a floating population; and
the church property was indebted to the amount of $9,265.
During his pastorate, he built an addition to the church,
bought ten new lots for a church site costing |2,500, and re-
duced the debt to $6,500. On July 1, 1905, Father Thiele
was succeeded by Rev. John B. Berg.

Whiting has 165 Catholic famihes, numbering 782 souls.

378 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

The parochial school, taught by five Sisters of Providence, has
an attendance of 177 children. The debt on the church prop-
erty is |6,500.

The church Societies' are: The Rosary Society, thirty-
eight members; St. John's, thirty members; St. Mary's, sixteen
members; the Children of Mary, forty members. Other
organizations are: The Catholic Order of Foresters and
Ladies' Auxiliary of same; and the Ancient Order of Hiber-
nians, with the Ladies' Auxiliary of the same.

II

MICHIGAN CITY.

ST. STANISLAUS' CHURCH.
1892.

In 1890, the Polish Catholic population of Michigan City
numbered about ninety famiUes. Until their church was
completed towards the middle of 1892, St. Mary's Hall was
fitted up as a chapel for their use. Rev. E. J. Wrobel was
appointed their pastor, on January 15, 1891. He resided with
the pastor of St. Mary's Church, from July 1890 until a resi-
dence was provided for him, at St. Stanislaus' Church. The
two-story building, enlarged in 1906, serves the purposes of
church, school and Sisters' residence. The priest's house is a
comfortable, two-story brick building.

•*M The parish has 426 families, numbering 2050 souls. The
parochial school has an attendance of 353 children, and is
conducted by School Sisters of Notre Dame.

St. Hedwig, St. Stanislaus and St. Casimir's Societies, for
married men, have 439 members; the Rosary Society, for
married women, has 145 members; St. Joseph's Society, for
single men, has 125 members; the Rosary Society, for single
women, has 110 members; the Sacred Heart Society, for chil-
dren, has 100 members.

The indebtedness of the church property is |14,000. Rev.
Anthony Stachowiak was the assistant at St. Stanislaus'
Church, from May, 1902 till June 22, 1906, on which day he
was transferred to Indiana Harbor, and was succeeded as
assistant, at Michigan City, by Rev. John Kasprzykowski.
Father Wrobel, since November 1906, has been sojourning in
the South, to recuperate his health.

It:

The Churches, Continued. 379

GAS CITY.

ST. Genevieve's church.
1893.

The first Mass in Gas City was celebrated in the Barracks
of the United States Glass Company, in 1892. The church
property consists of seven lots, located on North A street, was
donated by the Gas City Land Company, in 1893. The church
building is a frame structure erected in 1893. The pastoral '
residence is a commodious brick building built in 1894. The
Rev. F. C. Wiechmann was the first resident pastor until
December 15, 1905, the date of his death. There is no debt
on the church property, with over |3,000 in the treasury,
intended for the erection of a new church. Gas City has
seventy-three Catholic families, numbering 316 souls. The
parish has the Rosary Society, for married women, with thirty-
eight members; the St. Genevieve's Society, for single women,
with twenty members; the Holy Name Society, for boys, with
twenty-five members, and the Sodality of the Children of Mary,
for girls, with twenty members.

The pastor of St. Genevieve's Church, at Gas City is also
the chaplain of the Marion Branch of the National Soldiers'
Home, located about two miles from Gas City. Until 1894
this mission, under the patronage of St. Ignatius, was regularly
visited by the pastors of Marion; but in that year Father
Wiechmann was appointed chaplain, having his residence at
Gas City. For several years Mass was celebrated in the base-
ment of Barracks number one. The present beautiful chapel
was erected by the Government, in 1899. The following
General Orders Number Twenty, was issued December 16,
1905, by Governor G. W. Steele:

"The death of Father Frederick C. Wiechmann, Chaplain
of this Branch, at his home in Gas City, December 15th, is
announced with profound sorrow. He was an agreeable com-
panion, cheerful of disposition, and a Christian gentleman.
He performed the duties of Chaplain to the entire satisfaction
of the members of the Home, from February 10, 1894, until
he became so severely afflicted as to be unable to do so. He
bore his long and severe affliction with patience and hopeful
resignation. His loss will be sincerely mourned by all good

380 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

people who had the pleasure of his acquaintance. The flag
will be displayed at half-mast until after the funeral, on the
19th, instant."

The present pastor and chaplain of the Soldiers' Home is
Rev. Charles E. McCabe, who was appointed on January 4,
1906. St. Ignatius' Chapel at the Soldiers' Home is attended
on all Sundays, Fridays and Holydays of obhgation.

ALEXANDRIA.

ST. mary's church.

1896.

In the year 1870 Alexandria was a village of 300 inhabi-
tants, and, of these, eight souls were Catholic, of Irish descent.
The construction of two railroads, crossing at Alexandria,
increased the number of Catholics to about thirty. At this
time. Rev. John B. Crawley, located at Anderson, paid his
first visit to this village. The first Mass was celebrated by
him here, in an old log house, on East Washington street.
With nothing but the conveyances of those days at his disposal,
and the use of even these very limited on account of the slender
support that could be given priests in those days, the trips
from Anderson to Alexandria entailed many hardships. But
Father Crawley continued his visits at intervals of two or
three months, until about 1882. By this time, railroad facilities
had increased to such an extent, that access to Anderson was
made much easier, and Father Crawley's work in the imme-
diate vicinity of Anderson so much more onerous, that he
discontinued his visits to Alexandria. The discovery of natural
gas, in 1891, brought various manufacturing industries to
.Alexandria, and these brought with them a new influx of
Catholics. Rev. B. Biegel, located at Elwood, visited Alex-
andria in his pastoral capacity, for the first time, in the spring
of 1892, celebrating Mass in a private house. After that ser-
vices were held, once a month on Sunday, in the Commercial
Hall, which was soon changed to "Tammany Hall," until
services could be held in their own church. Bad weather and
the hardships of a ten mile drive did not prevent Father Biegel
from making the stated visits. The congregation, at that time,
numbered about fifty families. Funds were continually col-

The Churches, Continued. 381

lected to secure church accommodations. Through the kindly
influence of W. C. Depauw, over the various land companies,
a site of five lots was secured on the corner of Belmont
avenue and Madison street, in April, 1893. The congregation
having increased to sixty-five families, it was deemed necessary
that a pastor should be located at Alexandria. On June 8,
1893, Rev. John B. Berg was appointed pastor at Alexandria,
but, for the time being, resided at Elwood. The sum of |600
had been collected by Father Biegel, and on July 9, 1893,
Father Berg contracted for the foundation of the new structure,
for the sum of $950. The foundation having been completed,
the panic of 1893 came' upon the country, and affected Alex-
andria to such an extent, that the work of continuing the
building was out of the question. Bishop Rademacher deemed
it expedient, in October 1893, to assign Father Berg to another
field of labor.

Father Biegel took up the work again, visiting Alexandria
regularly, until December 1895, when Bishop Rademacher
deemed it advisable to give Alexandria a pastor. Rev. Joachim
Baker was appointed, and held services for the first time on
January 12, 1896, in Tammany Hall. He began, at once, to
reside at Alexandria in a rented house, and in this house a
chapel was arranged for the daily Mass. A small altar was
purchased, and the crate, in which it had been shipped, was
converted into a vestment case; and a few small benches were
adapted to the room. In this chapel regular services were
held, the sacraments administered and the Blessed Sacrament
kept until the church was completed.

In June, 1896, Father Baker saw his way clear for giving
the contract for a two-story brick structure, 35x65 feet, with a
wing, for a consideration of $7,000. The second floor, of this
building, was to be used for church purposes, whilst a part of
the first floor was arranged for school-rooms, and the other
part for the Sisters' residence. The building, when completed,
was placed under the patronage of the Blessed Mother of God.
The first services were held, in the new building, on the 6th
day of December. The Rev. A. B. Oechtering of Mishawaka
presented the new St. Mary's parish with the pews of his old
St. Joseph's Church, together with the Stations of the Cross.

Until the opening of the school, Father Baker occupied

382 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

the resident part of the building. Three School Sisters of
Notre Dame accepted the charge of the school, and it was
opened on September 13, 1897, with an enrollment of eighty
pupils. At the end of the first school year, however, 120
children were in attendance. On September 19th, Bishop
Rademacher visited Alexandria, to dedicate the new building,
and to administer the sacrament of Confirmation.

Upon the arrival of the Sisters, Father Baker again lived
in a rented house. In September, 1898, the priest's house was
begun and completed in April, 1899, at a cost of |4,000. Five
additional lots, directly north of the present site, were pur-
chased in the fall of 1899. Three years had elapsed, and the
school accommodations were found to be inadequate, and
accordingly a two-story brick addition, 48x48 feet, at a cost
of |6,000, was erected in the spring of 1900. The school
building, at present, has five school-rooms and an attendance
of 209 pupils. The eight grades are taught, by six Sisters.

The church property covers a half block, and the grounds
are being well cared for, by ornamentations, such as trees,
shrubbery, flowers and lawn. The church property has a
debt of $8,862 on it. The Rosary and Altar Societies, aside
from their spiritual purpose, have supplied the church with
vestments and other articles. The Sodality of the Blessed
Virgin for young women, and the Children of Mary, have pro-
vided a library; whilst the St. Aloysius' Society for young men
has done equally good service. The St. Cecilia's Men Choir is
making earnest efforts to comply with the Holy Father's "Motu
Proprio," on Church Music. St. Mary's Congregation numbers
210 families, with 1024 souls.

DUNKIRK.

ST. Mary's church.

1896.

In 1853, Dunkirk was called Quincy. In 1869, it began
to be visited by priests from Union City and Portland. From
1869 till 1896 Dunkirk was a station, visited by the following
priests: Rev. Lawrence Lamoor, from 1869 till 1870, from
Union City; Rev. John Bleckmann, from May 1870 for nine
months, assistant at Union City; Rev. Frederick Von Schwedler,

The Churches, Continued. 383

from 1871 to 1872, from Union City; Rev. Martin F. Noll,
from 1872 to 1875, from Union Ci'ty; Rev. Jeremiah Quinlan,
from 1875 till 1888, from Union City; Rev. Joachim^Baker,
from 1888 till 1891, from Portland; Rev. Anthony J. Strueder,
from October 1891 till October 25, 1894, from Portland; Rev.
Charles Dhe, from 1894 till March 1900, from Hartford City;
Rev. William S. Hogan, from March 1900 till September 7,
1902, was the first resident pastor; and Rev. John C. Wakefer
is the second resident pastor, since September 7, 1902.

Father Dhe, for two years when visiting Dunkirk, cele-
brated Mass in the Opera House. The number of souls at that
time was about 100. In 1896, the first and present church
was erected by Father Dhe. Its dimensions are 40x60 feet;
it is of brick, on a stone foundation, has two steeples, and is
constructed after the Gothic style of architecture. The cost
of the building was |6,000.

In March of 1900, Dunkirk ceased to be a mission by
receiving its first resident pastor, in the person of Rev. William
S. Hogan. He spent two years and a half here, paying off the
greater part of the debt. He also had charge of Red Key and
Albany. The present pastor. Rev. John C. Wakefer, took
charge September 7, 1902. His first work was to pay off the
remaining debt of |1,000. In 1904, the church was frescoed
for $280, a chandelier and electric lights were put in for |200.
Having provided the sanctuary and sacristy with many neces-
saries, including a baptismal font, he bought a bell, weighing
1535 pounds, which was blessed September 4, 1906. In
October, of the same year, he installed a steam heating plant
for church and house, costing $1,160, put a new roof on the
church, repaired the house, put down cement side walks, and
enclosed the entire church property with a beautiful fence.
The seating capacity of the church is about 250.

With the exception of one lot, the church grounds consist
of a whole block, on the west side of Broad street, in the south-
eastern part of the town. The fifth lot of ground, having on
it a two-story house, was bought for $825. This house is the
priest's residence. The number of souls is 240, consisting of
fifty-two families.

St. Mary's Church has an Altar Society, organized Jan-
uary 1, 1903, with thirty-five members, which has charge of

384 The Diocese of Fori Wayne.

the sanctuary. This society secured the money to buy the
church bell, the largest and best bell in Dunkirk. The Young
Ladies' Sodality, organized on December 8, 1906, has twenty-
two members. The Young' Men's Society has nineteen mem-
bers. The debt on the church property is |2,200.

The pastor at Dunkirk visits the mission, Red Key, on the
first Sunday of each month.

EAST CHICAGO.

ST. STANISLAUS' CHURCH.
1896.

St. Stanislaus' Congregation, consisting of Polish Catholics
exclusively, was visited from 1888 till 1900 by the pastors of
St. Casimir's Church in Hammond; namely. Rev. Casimir
Kobylinski and Rev. Peter Kahellek. In 1896 Father Koby-
linski secured six lots, on Baring avenue and One Hundred
and Fiftieth street. The first church, a frame structure, 80x30
feet, was erected in the same year, under the supervision of
the same Father. It was placed under the patronage of St.
Michael, the Archangel. The number of souls at this time was
about 200.

The present church grounds were secured by Rev. John
Kubacki in 1901, having an area of one block, 225x296 feet,
fronting on Magoun and Forsyth avenues, and One Hundred
and Fiftieth street. Additional five lots, 25x140 feet each,
are located on Forsyth avenue. These grounds were secured
by Father Kubacki, in 1901, at a cost of about $20,000. The
church which stood on Baring avenue was removed to its
present site, after which it was known as St. Stanislaus' Church.
Rev. Joseph Bolka took charge in November, 1904. At a cost
of |1,500 he built an addition, 36x30 feet, to the church. The
Rosary Society for women and St. Cecilia's choir, in 1907,
donated two side altars, costing $240. At the present time
the church is being frescoed for $300. A lot, situated some
distance from the church, was donated for the benefit of the
congregation, by the Bell and Hoffman Land Company.

The building used for school purposes was erected by
Father Kubacki in 1901. It is a two-story frame structure,
22x64 feet, and cost about $1,800. It has four school-rooms

The Churches, Continued. 385

and can accommodate about 230 children. The parochial
school is conducted in the six grades, by four Sisters of St.
Francis, attended by 238 pupils. The residence occupied by
the Sisters stood on the ground purchased in 1901, and is a
one-and-a-half-story frame building, which probably cost about
$1,000. In 1905 and 1906 Father Bolka expended an addi-
tional |1,000 in repairs and improvements.

The parochial residence also stood on the grounds pur-
chased in 1901. It measures 22x56 feet, and its probable cost
was |2,000. In 1905, Father Bolka improved and enlarged
the building, at an expense of $2,000. The parish has 280
families, numbering 1324 souls. The present indebtedness on
the church property is $4,500.

St. Stanislaus' Church has these societies: St. Michael's,
for married men, 125 members; the Rosary Sodality, for
married women, eighty members; St. Stanislaus Kostka's, for
single men, eighteen members; the Rosary Sodality, for single
women, forty-five members; the Infant Jesus, for children,
183 hiembers; St. Stanislaus B. M., fifty members.

On June 8, 1907 Rev. Julian Skrzypinski was given charge
of St. Stanislaus', pro tem., during the absence of Father Bolka.

I

LAFAYETTE.

ST. Lawrence's church.

1896.

The territory of St. Lawrence's Parish was formerly called
Linwood and, in 1894, was incorporated with the city of Lafay-
ette. The congregation was organized in 1895. The first
building erected, in 1896, is a large two-story structure, two
upper rooms of which are used for church purposes and the
other for school-rooms. The cost of this building was $20,000.
Before the organization of the parish, its members attended
St. Mary's and St. Boniface's Churches, and consisted of about
sixty-three families. Nine lots were bought in 1895, and one
more in 1899, the ten lots costing $2,495.48. The Rev. Matthias
Sasse, O. F. M., was the first pastor of the new St. Lawrence's
Parish. Bishop Rademacher dedicated the church and school

386 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

building, on November 8, 1896, when the Very Rev. P. Englert,
O. F. M., celebrated the Mass and Rev. Chrysostom Theobald,
O. F. M., preached both in English and in German. On the
day of the dedication Father Sasse was removed, and Rev.
Theodore Stephan, O. F. M., appointed in his place. The
dimensions of the above building are 80x90 feet. The seating
capacity of the church part, is 350. Three Sisters of St.
Francis teach the school which has eight grades, and 125
pupils. The Sisters reside in the south wing of the building.

In 1898, a priest's house was erected for $2,000, and in
the spring of 1906 a porch was added to it. The church prop-
erty has a debt of |1 1,000 on it. The parochial school is a
free school supported by a school society, to which every
member of the parish belongs. It has a membership of 424.
The school children have a Guardian Angels' Society. At
present the number of souls is 763, or 135 families.

Rev. Matthias Sasse, O. F. M., was the first pastor of St.
Lawrence's Church, from November 19, 1895 until November 8,
1896. The second pastor was Rev. Theodore Stephan, O. F. M.,
who, on account of ill health, had to be removed a few weeks
after his appointment. The present pastor. Rev. Richard
Wurth, O. F. M., has had charge of St. Lawrence's Church
since December 23, 1896.

SOUTH BEND.

SACRED HEART CHURCH.
1896.

In the earlier days, the few Belgian families living in
South Bend worshipped at St. Patrick's Church, whose pastor
did for them what he could, and three or four times a year
procured for them the services of Rev. J. Joos, a Belgian priest,
from the diocese of Detroit. In 1896, the number of Belgian
families had increased to fifty and the Rev. Henry A. Paanakker,
C. S. C, a newly ordained priest, received the appointment as
pastor of the Belgians, with instructions to organize a Belgian
parish. He at once bought two lots of ground for $1,800, and
on one of them he erected a two-story building, with a brick

The Churches, Continued. 387

basement, to serve the purposes of both church and school.
This building was put up at an expense of |8,000. Father
Paanakker, in the mean time, occupied one of the 9x12 feet
sacristies, for his residence. Some time after he bought a
two-story frame house, and moved it on the other lot for a
priest's house, at a cost of |850. The location of the church
property is in the residence portion of South Bend.

The school is conducted by lay-teachers, having been
taught at one time, for two years, by two Sisters of the Holy
Cross. Father Paanakker's pastorate ceased with his death,
on February 23, 1906. His succesosr Rev. Peter P. Klein,
C. S. C, took charge of the parish on March 25, 1906, and
with his advent new life and spirit was infused into the con-
gregation. Necessary repairs and improvements were made
on the church, school and priest's house, giving all the build-
ings a fresh coat of paint, and enlarging the organ loft, so as
to make room for the children. He also paid some of the debt.
Father Klein departed this life October 6, 1906. The newly
ordained priest Rev. Alphonse Just, C. S. C, was his successor
and is the pastor at the present time.

The Sacred Heart Parish has these societies: The St.
Vincent de Paul's Society, for Married Men; the Holy Name
Society, for Single Men; the Children of Mary, for the Single
Women; the Altar Boys' Society and the Holy Angels' Society,
for the children. At the present time the parish numbers
about eighty families. The debt on the church property is
about |5,000.

HUNTINGTON.

ST. mary's church.

1897.

St. Mary's Parish was established by Bishop Rademacher,
on May 16, 1896, for the benefit of the English speaking por-
tion of SS. Peter and Paul's Congregation. The Rev. John R.
Quinlan, assistant at the Cathedral of Fort Wayne, was given
charge of the new parish; but he continued to reside at the
Cathedral, until the church was ready for dedication. The
plans for St. Mary's Church were drawn up by architect Druid-
ing, of Chicago; the style is Romanesque. The corner-stone

388 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

was laid by Bishop Rademacher, on October 3, 1896, and Rev.
Andrew Morrissey, President of the Notre Dame University,
preached the sermon. The dedication of the church took
place on October 10, 1897," conducted by Bishop Rademacher;
the morning sermon being preached by Rev. Joseph F. Delaney,
of Fort Wayne, and the evening sermon by Rev. Francis F.
Moran, of Cleveland, Ohio.

St. Mary's Church, complete, entailed an expenditure of
$75,000; the entire amount of which was paid by Miss Bridget
Roche, in memory of her brother deceased, John Roche.

The parochial residence, the school house, the Sisters'
house, the heating plant, and all other improvements, were
made by the congregation, at a cost of |22,798.94, all of which
has been paid off excepting $3,350.

St. Mary's has 133 families, numbering 627 souls. The
parish school, including high school, is taught by four Sisters
of Providence; the number of pupils attending is 151.

The Married Men's Sodality has sixty members; the Rosary
Society, for married women, 105; the Young Men's Sodality,
thirty-two; the Young Ladies' Sodality, fifty-seven; the Boys'
and Girls' Sodality, forty-eight; the St. Vincent de Paul Society,
twenty-eight; the League of the SS. Heart, 250 members.
The C. B. L. has a membership of forty, and the Knights of
Columbus, 250.

HAMMOND.

ST. JOHN baptist's CHURCH,

1897.

On April 17, 1897, Rev. Benedict M. Rajcany, at the
request of Bishop Rademacher, emigrated to this country
from Hungary, to establish a congregation of Slovacks living
in Whiting and vicinity. He bought five lots in Robertsdale,
now called North Hammond, and built a small frame church
costing $940, which was dedicated on July 4, 1897. At this
time, the congregation numbered about 150 souls. More
ground was bought, and the first church being too small to
accommodate the growing parish, a larger church, also frame,
was erected in 1900, at a cost of $7,000. The seating capacity
of the church is 480. In 1904, the spire of the church was

The Churches, Continued. 389

struck by lightning, inflicting a damage amounting to

The tower was rebuilt, and at the same time the interior of

the church was decorated.

The school is a two-story frame building, with a nine foot
brick basement. It has four school-rooms, is heated by a hot
air furnace and was built in 1901, costing |3,850. For one
term the school was taught by lay teachers, in the old church
building; but, since November 1901, the Sisters of Providence
of St. Mary-of-the-Woods have had charge. The usual grades
are taught by four Sisters. The attendance at school is 237.
The house, in which the Sisters reside,- was built for them in
1900, at a cost of $1,900. The priest's house was built in
1898, and necessitated an outlay of |2,200. In 1906 the
priest's house and contents were wholly destroyed by fire.
A new and better house was erected at a cost of about |7,000,
in 1907. In 1903, a public school building was bought and
moved on the church lot; it was then fitted up for a hall and
school-rooms, at a cost of |4,000.

In 1904, ten acres of land were bought in South Hammond
for a cemetery, and a house was built on it for the sexton.
The land cost |3,500, and the house |1,200. In 1903, the
pastor bought twelve lots, in Indiana Harbor, for the estab-
Hshment of another Hungarian Parish; the lots cost |2,250.
The church property has a debt of |13,400.

St. John the Baptist's Parish has the St. George's First
Catholic Slavish Union, established in 1895: a mutual benefit
and insurance society, with 200 members. St. John's Society,
organized in 1904, with sixty-six members. The St. Benedict's
Court of Catholic Order of Foresters, established in 1902, with
sixty-three members. A Ladies Auxiliary of the First Catholic
Slavish Union established in 1900, with eighty-seven members.
The Rosary Society, for married women, has sixty members,
and the Children of Mary number twenty-six. Three girls of
the parish have become Sisters. Father Rajcany is still the
pastor of St. John Baptist's Church. The Holy Trinity Church
(Hungarian) in East Chicago is a mission attended by Father
Rajcany.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE CHURCHES — CONTINUED

1898-1907

FORT WAYNE, THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD — HAMMOND, ALL

saints' — SOUTH BEND, ST. STANISLAUS' — FAIRMOUNT

SOUTH BEND, ST. CASIMIR'S — SOUTH BEND, ST. STEPHEN'S —

hammond, st. adalbert's — indiana harbor, st.
Patrick's — mishawaka, st. bavo's — Indiana harbor,
st. john cantius'.

FORT WAYNE.

CHURCH OF THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD.

1895.

On February 12, 1895, Bishop Rademacher assigned the
territory north of the St. Mary's river and to the New York,
Chicago and St. Louis railway, and west of the Lake Shore
and Michigan Southern railway, in and near the city of Fort
Wayne, to the pastoral care of the Society of the Most Precious
Blood. October 12, 1897, marks the beginning of the new
congregation, when the Rev. Frank Nigsch, C. PP. S., entered
upon the pastoral duties, within the territory mentioned. On
the north-west corner of Fourth and Barthold streets, nine
lots were bought for |2,500; and the additional purchase of
the feeder, of the old Wabash and Erie canal, gave the church
grounds the entire length on Fourth street between Barthold
and Andrew streets, and 250 feet north of Fourth street.
About 135 families resided within the parish limits; fifty-five
of which had hitherto attended the Catherdal, forty-two St.
Mary's and about thirty-eight St. Paul's. A two-story brick
building, to serve the purposes of church and school, 50x111
feet, at a cost of $9,945, was erected in 1898. The street, sewer
and other improvements, and the furnishings of the second
floor, for church purposes, including an organ, necessitated an
additional outlay of |6,783.98. The school was opened on
September 12, 1898, in charge of the Sisters of the Most Precious
Blood, with an attendance of 160 children. The eight grades

The Churches, Continued. 391

of a common school education are being taught. The School
Society of the Precious Blood, organized in the same year, has
the support of the school for its principal purpose. The same
year the Fathers of the Most Precious Blood erected a Mis-
sionary House, which serves also as a pastoral residence,
fronting on Barthold street.

An assembly hall, 30x80 feet, being a one-story brick
structure, furnished with a stage and necessary fixtures, was
erected in 1902, at a cost of about |3,200. The present indebt-
edness on the church property is |1,832.65.

In 1898 the School Society, the Rosary Society, the Young
Ladies' Sodality and the Society of the Holy Infancy, were
established; and in 1899 the Young Men's Sodality and the
Sodality of the Children of Mary, with a total membership
of 517.

One of the boys of the congregation has entered a religious
community, and is now studying for the priesthood; and one
of the girls has become a Sister.

The Rev. Frank Nigsch, C. PP. S., was the pastor of the
congregation until January 19, 1903, when he was transferred
to Ottawa, Ohio. The Rev. Chrysostom Hummer, C. PP. S.,
has been the pastor since January, 1903. He reduced the
debt to its present figure. The parish has 170 families, with
total of 823 souls. The school, taught by four Sisters of the
Most Precious Blood, has an attendance of 172 pupils. Besides
the societies mentioned, there are the C. B. L., the C. K. of A.,
and the Ladies Catholic Benevolent Association, with an
aggregate membership of eighty-two.

HAMMOND.

ALL saints' church.

1896.

The church grounds have a frontage of 300 feet, and a
depth of 164 feet; 250 feet of which was secured by Rev. John
Cook, in April 1896, and fifty feet by Rev. E. F. Barrett, on
March 8, 1904, at a total cost of |7,500. Father Cook, at that
time, resided in a two-story frame house, located at 265 Fayette
street. The church, a very plain frame building, was erected
in 1896, by Father Cook. It had no features of architecture

392 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

nor decorations to recommend it, and cost about |1,000. This
building was enlarged in 1897 for |3,000, and again in 1902,
at an expense of $3,600, by Father Barrett. It answers the
purposes of both church and school ; the church portion having
a seating capacity for 400, and the school portion, 33x122
feet, will accommodate 268 children.

The school was opened in 1897, and has from the beginning
been in charge of the Sisters of Providence, of St. Mary-of-the-
Woods, the usual grades being taught by six Sisters. The
attendance at school is 229. The Sisters live in a house, espec-
ially erected for them, in 1899, at an expense of |2,200.

The priest's house is an elegant brick building, with every
modern improvement, erected in 1897, at an outlay of |4,875.
Improvements were made on it, in 1901, costing $480. The
church property has a debt of $3,000. The number of souls
in the parish is 600, consisting of 146 families. Two girls have
become Sisters.

All Saints' Parish has the Knights of Columbus, Unity
Council No. 726, organized on January 18, 1903, with a mem-
bership of 105. The Catholic Order of Foresters, Luers Court
No. Ill, with fifty-one members. The Ladies' Catholic Benev-
olent Association, All Saints' Branch No. 989, organized on
June 8, 1905, with forty members. All these are insurance
societies. Besides these there are: The Rosary Society, for
married women, with eighty-one members; the Young Men's
Sodality, with forty-two members; the Young Ladies' Sodality,
with fifty-seven members; the Children of Mary, with fifty-
eight members; the St. Aloysius' Sodality for boys, with thirty-
three members.

The first pastor of All Saints' Church was Rev. John
Cook, from April 1896 till February 27, 1897, on which date
he was succeeded by Rev. Edward F. Barrett, the present
pastor.

SOUTH BEND.

ST. STANISLAUS' CHURCH.
1898.

The Polish Catholics, residing in the north-western section
of South Bend, constitute the St. Stanislaus' Congregation.

The Churches, Continued. 393

It was called Linden Place and Gojden Hills. At the time of
its organization, the number of families was about sixty. The
church was erected in 1898. It is in the Gothic style of archi-
tecture, has a seating capacity of 425, and cost |23,0OO. St.
Stanislaus, B. and M., is the patron Saint of the parish. Not
the entire church according to the original plan was erected
but only two-thirds of it, the other third, being the sanctuary
is still wanting. At first the accommodations were ample,
but at the present time it is much too small, three masses
being necessary to give all the opportunity of hearing mass.
The Rev. V. Czyzewski, C. S. C, pastor of St. Hedwig's Church,
assisted by an able committee of lay-men and a willing people,
organized St. Stanislaus' Congregation, bought the site for
$5,000, and built the church.

For fully three years and a half the pastors of St. Stanis-
laus' Church resided at St. Hedwig's. The Rev. H. Jarzynski,
C. S. C, was the first temporary pastor. He resided with
Father Czyzewski for six months. The present pastor. Rev.
Roman A. Marciniak, C. S. C, who was appointed in 1900,
resided at St. Hedwig's for three years. The basement of the
church served as dining-room, and at times as bed-room for
the pastor. In 1903, a commodious pastoral residence was
built on the north side of the church.

Although the accommodations in the basement of the
church were not what they should be, yet a parochial school
was conducted there, until 1905. It was in this year that the
present roomy school-house was erected. At present St.
Stanislaus' Church has 282 families, numbering 1543 souls.
The school is conducted by Sisters of the Holy Cross, with an
attendance of 277 children. The societies are: St. Joseph's,
St. Stanislaus' and the Holy Rosary, for married men, with
341 members; the Apostleship of Prayer, for married women,
154 members; St. Stanislaus', for single men, twenty-eight
members; Holy Rosary, for single women, forty members;
Children of Mary and Holy Angels', for children, seventy-two
members; and St. Cecilia's Choir, with twenty members. The
debt on the church property is $23,900.

I

394 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

FAIRMOUNT.

ST. Cecilia's church.
- 1899.

It was about 1860, that priests began to visit Fairmount,
as a station. The first of these priests was Rev. John Ryan,
who attended from Lagro, four times a year. After him came
Rev. Bernard Kroeger, from Peru; Rev. John Kelly, Kokomo;
Rev. B. T. Borg, Peru; Rev. C. Mougin, Rev. A. J. Strueder, J!
Rev. F. C. Wiechmann, Rev. John Grogan; the latter four from f
Marion. When visiting Fairmount, they would celebrate Mass
at the homes of various families. The number of souls in the
vicinity of Fairmount, at that time, was about 100, mostly
Irish. Rev. Frederick Wiechmann visited Fairmount, as a
station, from Gas City, from April 1894 till August 1898.
During the pastorate of Rev. Joachim Baker, who attended
Fairmount from Alexandria, from August 1898 till September

1900, the first church was built, being ready for occupancy on
September 15, 1899. The building was erected at a cost of
about |3,000. At this time, the number of souls was about
350. The two lots that compose the church grounds, 75x150
feet each, were purchased by Father Baker, for $300. St.
Cecilia's Church is a frame structure, with Gothic features, and
is neatly furnished, having stained glass windows. The seating
capacity of the church is about 350.

The priest's house was built in 1902 by Rev. Henry C.
Kappel, who was the pastor from July 14, 1901 to June 30,
1905. It is a frame building containing seven rooms, and
cost probably 1 1,400. Owing to the general depreciation of
value on real estate in Fairmount, the church property, at
present, would command no more than |3,000. St. Cecilia's
Church has three societies: The Rosary Society, for the
Married People; the St. Aloysius' Society, for Young Men and
Boys, and the Children of Mary for the Young Women and
Girls of the parish. The number of souls, at the present time,
is ninety-four, constituting twenty families. Fairmount, since
it became a mission, has had these pastors: Rev. Joachim
Baker, from August 1898 to September 1900, from Alexandria
Rev. L. R. Paquet, from September 2, 1900 till January 1,

1901, residing at Fairmount; Father Baker, again, from January

1

The Churches, Continued. 395

1, 1901 till July 14, 1901, from Alexandria; Rev. Henry C.
Kappel, from July 14, 1901 to June 30, 1905, residing at Fair-
mount; Father Baker, a third time, from June 30, 1905 till
December 7, 1905; Rev. Thomas Travers, residing at Fair-
mount, since December 7, 1905.

SOUTH BEND.

ST. casimir's church.

1899.

In the year 1896, Father Czyzewski, anticipating the needs
of Polish Catholics in the south-western part of South Bend,
bought the four lots of ground on West Dunham and Webster
streets. On September 11, 1898-, Rev. Anthony Zubowicz,
C. S. C, at the time assistant to Father Czyzewski and the
director of St. Hedwig's School, was appointed the pastor of
the new St. Casimir's Congregation. He began at once the
erection of a building, which was to serve the purposes both of
church and school. It is a two-story brick building, 65x125
feet, the first story containing six school-rooms and the second
story having seating capacity of 749, costing $25,000. Whilst
this building was being erected Father Zubowicz resided at
St. Hedwig's. On March 4, 1899, the new structure was dedi-
cated by the Very Rev. John Guendling, Administrator of the
diocese of Fort Wayne.

On April 11, 1899, Father Zubowicz resigned and was
succeeded by Rev. Eligius Raczynski, C. S. C. During his
pastorate many improvements were made: a beautiful organ
was secured for $1,300, together with some statuary, and
especially the new parochial residence of brick, 35x44 feet,
which cost over $3,000. Quite suddenly. Father Raczynski
in the prime of life expired, on June 11, 1902. Two days later.
Father Zubowicz again took charge of St. Casimir's Church.
Up to this time the school had been taught by lay men and
women, but now it was placed in charge of the Sisters of Naza-
reth, who, six in number, live in a rented house one block
from the church, and teach 543 children. Five boys of the
parish have entered the seminary, and eighteen girls the con-
vent. The census of St. Casimir's Congreagtion shows a
record of 480 families, with a total of 2595 souls.

396 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

The societies of the parish are: St. Casimir's, for men,
since 1898, with 250 members; the Sacred Heart of Jesus Con-
fraternity, since 1899, with 112 members; St. Stanislaus Kostka's
Society, with 200 members; St. Valentine's Society, since 1902,
with twenty-five members; St. Hedwig's Society, with eighty
members; St. Cecilia's Society, since 1901, with thirty members;
St. Casimir's Literary Society, since 1899, with forty-three
members; the Boys' Altar Society, since 1903, with 75 mem-
bers; the Ladies' Rosary Sodality with 295 members; the
Young Ladies' Sodality, since 1901, with seventy-two mem-
bers; the Children of Mary, since 1903, with forty-seven mem-
bers.

Rev. Casimir Olszewski was assistant at St. Casimir's
Church.

St. Casimir's Church has money in the treasury.

SOUTH BEND.

ST. Stephen's (magyar) church.

1900.

Until their parish was organized, the Hungarians of South
Bend attended St. Patrick's Church, and also St. Mary's Church,
because many of them spoke German. During this time, Rev.
Charles Boehm, of Cleveland, and Rev. Robert Paulovits, of
Toledo, Ohio, paid their country-men in South Bend repeated
visits, and ministered to them.

Rev. Michael J. Biro, C. S. C, shortly after his ordination
in February, 1900, was appointed pastor of the Hungarian
Catholics, and within a short time organized the St. Stephen's
Congregation. A Methodist chapel, known as the Milburn
Memorial Chapel, was for sale, and Father Biro negotiated its
purchase, on July 3, 1900. The architectural style of this
church is the Cross-Gothic-Romanesque, of the fifth century.
The building was in good condition but had to be altered con-
siderably to serve the purpose of a Catholic church. Three
altars were secured, with statues of the Blessed Virgin, St.
Joseph and St. Anthony. A choir loft was built and the
stations of the Cross were erected. The entire church property
was inclosed with an ornamental iron fence. All this was

The Churches, Continued. 397

done at a cost of 1 1,450. The original cost paid for the prop-
erty was |14,800.

Father Biro erected the parochial school in 1900. The
building is 45x45 feet, has four class-rooms, each of which can
accommodate fifty children. Three thousand dollars was spent
on this building. The school is in charge of three secular
teachers, one male and two females, who teach six grades.
The attendance at the present time is 171. The priest's house
was part of the first purchase, but Father Biro has spent on it
|500 in repairs and improvements. The debt on the church
property is $7,900.

When Father Biro took charge in 1900 he found about
sixty Hungarian families. At the present time there are 321
families, numbering 2166 souls. The seating capacity of the
church is only 350, and the necessity of building a more com-
modious church is evident. St. Stephen's Congregation has
the following societies: The Knights of St. Stephen, twenty
members; the Holy Rosary, sixty members; the Children of
Mary, fifty-six members. The Aid Societies are: St. Stephen's
forty-five; St. Joseph's, 325; St. Peter's, 108; Holy Trinity,
eighty; St. Anthony's, 125; Blessed Virgin Mary's, eighty-
seven; St. Elizabeth's, ninety; Catholic Young Men, fifty-six;
Count Szechemyi's, 240 members.

HAMMOND.

ST. Adalbert's church.

1902.

Prior to the organization of St. Adalbert's Congregation
at Hammond, the Polish Catholics, now part of its member-
ship, attended St. Casimir's Church at Hammond. The parish,
organized in 1901, consisted at that time of about seventy
families. The church grounds are composed of seven lots,
which were acquired for |2,000. The present church, a frame
structure of 40x80 feet, costing |3,000, was erected under the
supervision of Rev. P. A. Kahellek, who had charge of the
new parish till June 1902. The church was built in the spring
of 1902, and was dedicated in September of the same year.
Rev. Peter A. Budnik had charge from June 1, 1902, till June

398 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

8, 1907, when Rev. F. Seroczynski succeeded him. The altar,
the pews and the confessional, provided by Father Budnik,
necessitated an outlay of about |500.

.A. room 20x40 feet was partitioned off in the rear of the
altar, and served as a school-room till 1906; up to which time
the school was taught by lay-teachers. The present school
building is a two-story brick structure with stone trimmings
and basement. It was erected in 1906 by Father Budnik, at
a cost of |7,051. A room in the basement is used for society
meetings. At the present time two Sisters of St. Francis have
charge of the school, with an attendance of 109 pupils.

The priest's house, a one-story frame structure, was built
by Father Budnik in 1902. Including furniture it cost |1,400.
The debt on the church property is $6,000. St. Adalbert's
Congregation has these societies: St. Adalbert's Society, for
married men, twenty-five members; the Holy Rosary Society,
for married women, forty-five members; St. Stanislaus Kostka's
Society, for single men, fifteen members; the Holy Rosary
Society, for single women, fifteen members; the Children of
Mary, 109 members; St. Hedwig's Society, for married women,
twenty members; St. Casimir's Society, eighteen members.

INDIANA HARBOR.

ST. Patrick's church.
1903.

Indiana Harbor had existed but one year when, on May
24, 1902, Rev. Thomas Mungovan was appointed the pastor
of what was at the time a congregation of eight Catholic families,
six Irish and two German. The church grounds are composed
of twelve lots, with a frontage of 420 feet, and were purchased
on September 5, 1902. The East Chicago Land Company
donated four of these lots, and Father Mungovan paid $1,352
for the other eight. Until the erection of a building. Father
Mungovan made his home with Rev. Charles Thiele, at Whiting.
The building which was erected, in 1903, is a combination of
church, school and residence, 65x33 feet. It is a two-story
frame building. Two school-rooms are on the ground floor,
and also the priest's residence, composed of library, dining-

The Churches, Continued. 399

room, kitchen and two bed rooms. The church is on the second
floor. Construction of the building is such, that the whole of
it can ultimately be used for a school. This combination
building was blessed and Mass celebrated in it for the first
time, on January 25, 1903. At this time the number of families
had increased to nineteen. The church has been furnished
with every necessary article of furniture, vestments, sacred
vessels and so forth. The cost of the building and its furnish-
ing was |5,100. The seating capacity of the church is 200.
The church property has a debt of |5,000. The total number
of souls at present is 268, consisting of 69 families.

St. Patrick's Church has two societies: The Sodality of
the Children of Mary, which was established on June 11, 1903,
and is composed of boys and girls, who have received their
first Communion. The Rosary Society, which was organized
on October 30, 1905, is composed of married and single women,
having a membership of thirty-one.

MISHAWAKA.

ST. BAVO'S CHURCH.
1903.

Rev. Louis de Seille was the first Belgian emigrant to
America, who came to St. Joseph county to labor and die here,
as we have recorded elsewhere. After him came other of his
countrymen, settling in South Bend and Mishawaka. Rev.
August B. Oechtering, pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Misha-
waka, did all he could to welcome these brethern in the faith,
and secured for them the services of priests of their own nation-
ahty, from time to time. Owing to the efforts made by Father
Oechtering, the Bishop of Ghent sent a newly ordained Belgian
priest, to take charge of the Belgian Catholics in Mishawaka,
It was Rev. Charles L. Stuer, who arrived on September 29,
1902, and took up his residence with Father Oechtering, as
assistant. The death of Father Oechtering, at the close of
1902, discouraged the young Belgian priest and he concluded
to seek another field of labor. Before going, however, he
would give the Belgians a mission, to dispose them for their
Easter Communion. The attendance during this mission

400 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

revealed the fact, that the Belgian population of Mishawaka
was much larger, than had been suspected. In response to
the visit of a committee. Bishop Alerding visited Mishawaka,
in March 1903, when it was determined to organize a Belgian
parish. In less than three days, over |4,000 were subscribed,
and in addition, Ivo Talleu donated six lots, and Leo Bultinck
donated the present priest's house. On May 3, 1903 Bishop
Alerding blessed a frame structure, 85x35 feet, to be used
temporarily as a place of worship.

The corner-stone for St. Bavo's Church was laid, on May 8,

1904, by Bishop Meerschaert, Vicar-apostolic of Indian Terri-
tory, a Belgian by birth. It was on the first day of January,

1905, that the church was solemnly dedicated to the service
of Almighty God, by Bishop Alerding. The parish has 201
families, numbering 975 souls. The amount of debt is |1 8,500.
St. Bavo's has the Sodality of the Children of Mary, with
twenty-seven members; the Rosary Confraternity, for Married
Women, with fifty-four members; St. Bavo's Society, for Men,
with seventy-seven members.

In 1906, the building used temporarily for worship, together
with an addition built to it, was converted into a school of
four-rooms. Adjacent to this school building a commodious
frame residence was erected for the Sisters. The Dominican
Sisters have charge of the schools. Three of these Sisters are,
at present, teaching 120 children.

INDIANA HARBOR.

ST. JOHN CANTIUS' CHURCH.
1906.

Until the present St. John Cantius' Church was built, the
Polish Catholics composing it, attended St. Adalbert's Church
at Hammond. The church was erected under the supervision
of Rev. Peter A. Budnik, and was completed in February,
1906. The building has two-stories with basement, 44x65
feet, and is constructed of artificial stone. The first floor is
arranged for school and pastoral residence, while the second
floor serves for church purposes. The cost of the building,
inclusive of furniture, was |7,500. The church grounds consist

The Churches, Continued. 401

of nine lots; seven of which were bought by Father Budnik at
a cost of |900, and the two other lots at a cost of $1,050 by
Rev. Anthony Stachowiak in 1907. A belfry was added to
the building by Father Stachowiak at a cost of |150. Plans
for a new pastoral residence are now being prepared, and the
building is to be ready for occupancy by September, 1907.

Heretofore the school has been in charge of one lay-teacher,
with an attendance of eighty-six children; but in September of
1907 two Sisters of St. Francis took charge, with an increased
attendance of 150 pupils. The number of families of St. John
Cantius' Congregation is 140, numbering 900 souls. The debt
on the church property amounts to $7,000. The parish has
the Sacred Heart Society, for married men, with thirty-five
members; the Rosary Society, for married women, thirty
members; the St. John Cantius' Society, for men, thirty-one
members.

CHAPTER XV.

THE CHURCHES, CONTINUED,
MISSIONS AND STATIONS.

LEO — LUCERNE — SAN PIERRE — LIGONIER — SCHIMMELS — CICERO
— MONTPELIER — PIERCETON — CLARK's HILL — COLFAX —
FRANCISVILLE — ROANOKE — MEDARYVILLE — ROCHESTER —
LADOGA — ALBION — BLUFFTON — BREMEN — WARSAW — MIL-
LERSBURG — SUMMIT — ST. MARY's OF THE PRESENTATION —
KOUTS — WHEATFIELD — HAMLET — ROLLING PRAIRIE — RO.ME
CITY — ALBANY — GENEVA — CULVER — VEEDERSBURG — RED
KEY — MOROCCO — KNIMAN — OTTERBEIN — WOODVILLE —
EAST CHICAGO, HOLY TRINITY — BUNKER HILL — ROYAL
CENTER — WINCHESTER — KNOX — MATTHEWS.

LEO.

ST. LEO'S CHURCH.

1856.

The following is the long list of priests who have attended
to the spiritual wants of Catholics at and near Leo: 1. Rev.
G. Miettinger, from January 26, 1862 till 1865. 2. Rev. J. C.
Carrier, C. S. C, from January 13, 1865 till June 21, 1866.
3. Rev. Frederick Julian Holz, from June 1866 till July 25,
1868. 4. Rev. Matthias Zumbuelte, from July 25, 1868 till
.August 1872. 5. Rev. August Young, from .August 22, 1872
till November 1874. 6. Rev. Peter Franzen, from February
1875 till November 1876. 7. Rev. C. Wardy, from April
1877 till May 1878. 8. Rev. John J. Shea, C. S. C, Rev.
B. Roche, C. S. C, from July 1878 till March 1879. 9. Rev.
James Gleeson, C. S. C, from March 1879 till July of the same
year. 10. Rev. Peter Fallize, C. S. C, from July 1879 till

The Churches, Continued. 403

January 1880. 11. Rev. \V. Demers, C. S. C, from .April till
July 1880. 12. Rev. Thomas \'agnier, C. S. C, from .August
1880 till June 1888. 13. Rev. P. J. Franciscus, C. S. C,
from August 1888 till February 1889. 14. Rev. John Lauth,
C. S. C, from March 1889 till September 1890. 15. Rev.
M. J. Byrne, from February till July 1889. 16. Rev. .M.
Robinson, C. S. C, from July 1 889 till September 1 892. 1 7. Rev.
L. J. Miller, C. S. C, from October 1892 till Januarv 1893.
18. Rev. J. M. Toohey, C. S. C. from May 1893 till August
1895. 19. Rev. Jacob Lauth, C. S. C, from August 1895
till December of the same year. 20. Rev. .\. E. St. .\maud,
C. S. C. from December 1895 till July 1898. 21. Rev. A. E.
Lafontaine, from July 1898 till .August 1901. 22. Rev. M. P.
Louen, from August 1901 till January 1, 1907. 23. Rev.
Ambrose Dowd, C. PP. S., since Januarv 1, 1907.

St. Leo's Church was built in 1856, while the place was
being attended by Revs. Julian Benoit and E. M. Faller.
Father Zumbuelte built the pastoral residence in 1870. The
cemeterv grounds were donated bv Peter Sullivan, in 1863.
The pastor of St. \'incent's has charge of the mission Leo.

LUCERNE.

ST. Elizabeth's church.

1858.

The first church was built by Rev. George .A. Hamilton,
in 1858, at a distance of about two miles from Lucerne. It
was dedicated by Bishop Luers. in 1S63. Here divine ser\-ices
were held until November 12, 1905, when Rev. Edward J.
Houlihan, the present pastor, bought the church of the Evan-
gelical .Association, in the town of Lucerne. This change was
made at a cost of about $2,500. St. Elizabeth's parish has
also a cemeterv of its own. The only priests who had their
residence in Lucerne were Rev. Charles J. Mougin, from April
13. 1868 till 1870, and Rev. James O'Brien from 1870 till the
fall of 1871. From that date to the present time, the priests
attendins: Lucerne have resided at Fulton, or Grass Creek, or
Kewanna. which three names mean one and the same place.

404 The Diocese of Fort IVayne.

Reference is made to the list of pastors, as given under the
head of Fulton county, St. Ann's Church.

St. Elizabeth's mission has twenty-two families, number-
ing 114 souls. There is no debt on the church property.

SAN PIERRE.

ALL saints' church.

1858.

The building of the Monon railroad may be considered the
beginning of San Pierre, when five Catholic families settled here.
One of the pioneer priests, who visited San Pierre, was Rev.
John McMahon, the year 1856, when Mass was celebrated in
the house of Michael Griffin. But prior to Father McMahon's
visit. Rev. Burns had been here. A building, used as a barrel
factory, was bought in 1858, for |50, and was made to answer
the purposes of a church. It stood where the present church
stands. From 1860 till 1879, Rev. Joseph Stephan made San
Pierre his headquarters. From the year 1880 until the fall of
1884 San Pierre was attended by the Franciscan Fathers, from
Reynolds, Indiana. The names of Fathers John, Athanasius
and Ignatius are still current with the people. Priests of the
Most Precious Blood Community, from the fall of 1884 until
July 1885, when Rev. Dominic Shunk, C. PP. S., began to
reside at San Pierre, attended San Pierre. The first church,
already mentioned, was 18x12 feet, but in 1877 an addition of
10 feet was made; but, in 1885- Father Shunk planned a new
church, which was built and ready for services in 1886. The
pastor, having completed the church, used the old church
building for his residence, during a period of eight years. In
the fall of 1895 Wanatah became Father Shunk's place of
residence. From here he attended San Pierre, until the fall
of 1895, after which date the Rev. John Kubacki, of North
Judson, took charge. After this time the pastors of North
Judson have attended San Pierre, in the order named: Rev.
John Kubacki, Rev. Peter Kahellek, Rev. Joseph Bolka, Rev.
Felix Seroczynski, and Rev. Charles F. Keyser.

Mass is celebrated on alternate Sundays. San Pierre has
twenty-eight Catholic families, numbering 140 souls. There is
no debt on the church property.

The Churches, Continued. 405

, LIGONIER.

ST. Patrick's church.
1860.

The Rev. Henry Vincent Schaefer, pastor at Avilla, visited
Ligonier, and it is a matter of record, that he celebrated Mass
in the home of Henry Zonker. It was Father Schaefer, who
erected the church in 1860. An acre of ground was donated
by John Richmond. The dimensions of the building were
30x60 feet. Rev. Dominic Duehmig remodeled the church
and added two rooms, for the accommodation of the visiting
pastor, in 1877. Ligioner was attended by several priests
from different places, at different times, such as Rev. Henry
Meissner, Rev. Louis Moench, Rev. Henry Boeckelmann, Rev.
Anthony Kroeger, Rev. Alexander Buechler, Rev. Simon M.
Yenn, until 1897, when the Rev. George Lauer was appointed
resident pastor of Ligonier, by Bishop Rademacher. Father
Lauer at once built a pastoral residence, but in 1899 he was
succeeded by Rev. John F. Noll. Father Noll, considering
Kendallville more desirable and more serviceable for the resi-
dence of the priest, with the consent of the Administrator of
the diocese, began to reside at Kendallville, and to visit Ligonier
as a mission. Father Noll had the interior of the church
neatly decorated. He was succeeded on June 8, 1902, by Rev.
John C. Keller, who has charge at the present time. Father
Keller has made several necessary repairs and improvements.
The church property is out of debt. The number of souls is
eighty, constituting twenty-one families.

SCHIMMELS, LAPORTE COUNTY.

ST. martin's church.

1860.

Schimmels, formerly known as Schimmelsville, is situated
about two miles north of Lacrosse. In the year 1856, Mass
was said for the first time in the house of Joseph Preis, Sr., by
an old German priest, Rev. Andrew Tusch. The congregation
was organized in 1859, by Rev. Martin Sherer, pastor at Laporte.
The present church was built by him, in 1860. The church
grounds consist of four acres, donated by Daniel Callahan, now

406 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

of Toledo, Ohio. Patrick and Richard Huncheon donated a
few acres for cemetery purposes. The priests, who supplied
the spiritual wants of St. Martin's congregation, follow in their
chronological order; 1. Rev. Andrew Tusch. 2. Rev. Mar-
tin Sherer, pastor at Laporte. 3. Rev. Gabriel Volkert,
assistant at Laporte. 4. Rev. Julius Becks, pastor at Michi-
gan City. 5. Rev. J. Stephan, pastor at San Pierre. 6. Rev.
Peter Franzen, the first resident pastor, from October 1878 to
April 1881. 7. Rev. Philibert Altstaetter, O. F. M., residing
at Lafayette, from May 1881 to August 25, 1881. 8. Rev.
Markus Kreke, O. F. M., residing at Lafayette, from August 28,
to December 1881. " 9. Rev. John Frericks, C. PP. S., residing
at Indian Creek, now Pulaski, from December 1881 to April
1885. 10. Rev. Christian Nigsh, C. PP. S., residing at Win-
amac, from April to July 1885. 11. Rev. Dominic Shunk,
C. PP. S., residing at San Pierre, from July 1885 to 1888 and
at Wanatah, from 1888 to February 1897. From this date
St. Martin's Church was attended by pastors residing at Wana-
tah. 12. Rev. Edward Jakob, C. PP. S., until September
1897. 13. Rev. Raymond Vernimont, C. PP. S., till Septem-
ber 8, 1898. 14. Rev. Adam M. Buchheit till November 21,
1906. 15. Rev. John Rech till June 8, 1907. 16. Rev.
John Oberholz, since June 8, 1907.

CICERO.

SACRED HEART CHURCH.
1863.

In 1836, some German Catholic families located in Hamil-
ton county, about three and a half miles northeast of Cicero,
and it was called Buscher's settlement. The Rev. Vincent
Bacquelin residing at Shelbyville, was the first priest to visit
here. It is said of him that he met his death, by being thrown
by his horse against a tree. After him came priests from
Indianapolis, such as Revs. Patrick McDermott, J. H. O'Brien,
Danial Maloney, Peter Leonard Brandt, Simon Siegrist, August
Bessonies and John Gueguen. When in 1857, the diocese of
Fort Wayne was established the priests of Indianapolis ceased
to visit here.

The priests who attended Cicero, from 1857 until the

The Churches, Continued. 407

•

present time, are the following: Rev. Michael J. Clark, Ander-
son, 1857; Rev. B. Kroeger, Logansport, assistant at St.
Vincent de Paul's, 1863; Rev. Lawrence Lamoor, Peru, assist-
ant, 1865; Rev. B. T. Borg, 1868; Rev. F. Lordemann, Kokomo,
1873; Rev. F. G. Lentz, 1876; Rev. John Blum, 1892 till 1895;
Franciscan Fathers, Lafayette, from 1896 till 1898; Rev. B.
Biegel, Elwood, from March till September 10, 1898; Rev.
P. J. O'Reilly from September 10, 1898 till June 1899; Rev.
F. J. Jansen, from June 24, 1899 till October 30, 1906; Rev.
William B. Hordeman, since October 30, 1906.

in 1863, a church was built in Buscher's Settlement and
was dedicated by Bishop Luers, in 1864. At the same time, a
church was built in Mullen's Settlement, six miles northwest
from Cicero. The Washington Glass Company, coming to
Cicero in 1894, brought with it a number of Catholic settlers,
who were anxious to have church accommodations. At their
request, Bishop Rademacher instructed Father Biegel of
Elwood to do for them what he could. On March 31, 1898,
Father Biegel celebrated Mass at Cicero, and through his efforts
six lots were bought, in August of that year. Father O'Reilly
on leaving Frankfort had collected $600 for the new church.
The corner-stone for the new church was laid on September
30, 1900, by Rev. Charles B. Guendling, of Lafayette, and Rev.
B. Biegel preached the sermon. The church was dedicated by
Bishop Alerding, on September 29, 1901, and a class of twenty-
four was confirmed. The church is 43x72 feet, with a nine-foot
high basement and a brick veneered superstructure, with
stained glass windows, three altars, fme pews and a baptistry.
It has projecting towers and a side sacristy; the style of archi-
tecture is a modified Gothic. The cost of the building was
$6,000, and on June 29, 1906, the last dollar due on it was paid.

MONTPELIER.

ST. JOHN evangelist's CHURCH.

1864.

What has been said about Hartford City, with regard to
visiting clergy in the early pioneer days, might be rightfully
repeated with regard to Montpelier. The Catholics were few,
and the small frame church, which was erected in 1864, was

408 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

sufficient to accommodate them. When Bishop Rademacher,
in March 1894, sent Rev. Charles Dhe to Hartford City as its
first resident pastor, the Bishop gave him charge also of Mont-
pelier, as a mission. By this time, the discovery of natural
gas and oil had developed Montpelier into a lively and pros-
perous town. Father Dhe began at once to collect funds for
a new church, and, on June 4, 1896, Bishop Rademacher
dedicated it. The church is a brick church after the Gothic
style of architecture, and has two spires, one eighty and the
other sixty feet high. The seating capacity is 200, and its
cost was ^5,500. About the year 1900, Father Dhe erected a
commodious priest's house adjacent to the church. When
Father Dhe was transferred from Hartford City, the church
property at Montpelier was indebted to the amount of 1 1,900.
Rev. John F. Noll succeeded Father Dhe on July 11, 1906, and
has charge of St. John's Church at Montpelier, attending it
from Hartford City.

The number of families is forty-one, with a total of 179
souls. St. John's has an Altar Society and a Young Ladies'
Sodality,

PIERCETON.

ST. FRANCIS' CHURCH.

1864.

It was Rev. John Ryan who in its early days visited
Pierceton, in Kosciusko county, from Lagro on horseback. In
the early sixties the Rev. Francis Lawler, resident at Laporte,
looked after the spiritual welfare of the Catholics in and about
Pierceton. It was under him that the Church of St. Francis
Xavier, a frame structure, was erected in 1864. The resident
priest at Columbia City, Rev. Henry Schaefer, next visited
Pierceton. Rev. Geori^e Steiner, Rev. Francis Siegelack and
Rev. George Zurwellen, resident priests at Plymouth, came
next in the order given. After these Pierceton was visited by
pastors of Columbia City, namely Rev. Joseph Rademacher,
Rev. M. Zumbuelte, Rev. B. Theodore Borg and Rev. H. A.
Hellhake.

After this, Pierceton became a mission attended from
Warsaw, where the Rev. F. C. Wiechmann was pastor, who

I

The Churches, Continued. 409

attended the mission twice a month. Until 1885, Rev. A. M.
Ellering paid visits to Pierceton, when it was made a mission
to be attended from Areola. Since that time the respective
pastors of Areola have successively attended Pierceton: Revs.
J. H. Werdein, W. J. Quinlan, W. Conrad Miller, Robert J.
Pratt, S. M. Yenn, Peter Schmitt, Henry C. Kappel, and since
June 8, 1907 the present pastor at Areola, Rev. Edward J.
Mungovan.

At the present time the mission is attended on the second
Sunday and Monday of each month. Pierceton has thirteen
Catholic families numbering fifty-eight souls. There is no debt
on the church property.

I

CLARK'S HILL.

ST. ROSE OF Lima's church.

1867.

Until the year 1867, Clark's Hill and vicinity was visited
by priests from Lafayette. The Catholics were few and were
engaged, mostly, in the construction of railroads. Rev. E. B.
Kilroy was the first to make regular visits, and celebrate Mass
in private houses. Rev. John McMahon and Rev. Edward
O'Flaherty, also paid visits here. In 1867, Rev. Joseph A.
Winter built the present church, on two lots donated him.
This church cost about |600, and has a seating capacity of
sixty. Father Winter had charge until 1870, and Rev. John
R. Dinnen attended until 1874, since which time Clark's Hill
has been a mission of Lebanon, and is attended once a month,
on the third Sunday. The number of souls at present is about
fortv-two, or ten families. There is no debt on the church.

COLFAX.
ST. George's church.
1867.

In the early sixties, Colfax was visited from Lafayette by
Rev. E. B. Kilroy, who celebrated Mass in private houses.
Rev. John McMahon also came here. Rev. Joseph A. Winter
erected the church in 1867. Two lots were donated for the
purpose, and the money to build the church was collected

410 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

chiefly from railroad employees. The church was a frame
building, seating about sixty persons. Father Winter con-
tinued to attend until Rev. George A. Hamilton and Rev.
John R. Dinnen had charge till 1874, when it became a mission,
attached to Lebanon, and since that time has been attended
from there, on the third Sunday of every month. The number
of souls at the present time is twenty-seven, or seven families.
There is no debt on the church property.

FRANCISVILLE.

ST. FRANCIS' CHURCH.

1867.

The town of Francisville exists since 1847, but it was not
until 1860 that a Catholic priest, in the person of Rev. John
McMahon, visited here and celebrated Mass, in private resi-
dences. For seven years, until 1867, Rev. George Steiner,
Rev. Julius Becks and Rev. Burns attended this place. The
congregation at this time numbered about twelve families, a
mixture of Irish, American and German.

The first and present church, built in 1867, is a frame struc-
ture and cost about $1,500. The seating capacity is 200. The
church grounds consist of two lots, acquired in the same year
the church was built. The priests who attended Francisville
while the church was building were. Rev. Burns and Rev.
Anthony King. The church property has no debt. After the
completion of the church, Rev. Joseph Stephan was the visiting
pastor, for seven years. After this time, Franciscan Fathers
had charge of it during ten years: Rev. Dominic Meier, O. F.
M., Rev. Stephen Hoffman, O. F. M., Rev. Guido Stallo, O. F.
M., Rev. Francis S. Schaefer, O. F. M., Rev. Peter A. Welling,
O. F. M., Rev. Augustine Beyer, O. F. M. After these we note
the following: Rev. John Berg, from June 1889 to June 8,
1893; Rev. Matthias Zumbuelte, from April 1888 to June 1889;
Rev. George Schramm, from June 8, 1893; Rev. John Blum,
from December 24, 1895 to November 1, 1896; Rev. John
Kubacki, from November 1, 1896 to August 6, 1900; Rev.
George Horstmann, from August 6, 1900 to July 4, 1905; Rev.
Julius Seimetz, since July 4, 1905.

The Churches, Continued. 411

The number of souls at present is about eighty-one. Two
girls of the parish have entered the religious state of life.

Francisville is a mission attended from Reynolds, on the
second Sunday of the month.

RO./^NOKE.

ST. Joseph's church.

1867.

A settlement, called the German Settlement, existed four
to five miles north of Roanoke, in 1840. Mass was offered in
private houses, at that early date, by priests from Fort Wayne
and Huntington, such as Revs. E. M. Faller, A. Schippert,
Frederick Fuchs, Jacob Mayer, Henry V. Schaefer. A little
later a small frame church was built, where Mass was celebrated
at irregular intervals, by Rev. Theodore Van der Poel, coming
from Areola. It is a matter of record, that he celebrated
midnight Mass of Christmas in Nix Settlement, the second
Mass at 5 o'clock in Roanoke, and the third Mass at 10 o'clock
at Areola. His mode of travel was on horseback.

A church built by Protestants, 60x28 feet, on the most
elevated spot of Roanoke, was for sale and the Catholics bought
it, in 1867. At that time the parish had from fifteen to twenty
families. Rev. William Woeste was the first resident pastor
of Roanoke, with Nix Settlement as a mission, from 1870 to
November 19, 1880, he resided in a private house at Roanoke,
and visited Nix Settlement twice a month. During his time,
in 1873, four acres of ground, one quarter of a mile north of
Roanoke, were bought for cemetery purposes. Rev. Cosmas
Seeberger, C. PP. S., came next and remained for eight months.
His successor in October 1881, Rev. W. Conrad Miller, took up
his residence in Roanoke, in the basement of the church for
eight or nine months, but in 1882 took possession of the new
priest's house in Nix Settlement; after which Roanoke became
a mission of Nix Settlement, and remains such at the present
time. His successors, attending Roanoke from Nix Settle-
ment, were: Rev. F. J. Lambert, from 1883 till 1884; Rev.
Philip GuethoflF, from 1884 to 1889; Rev. Edward J. Boccard,
from 1889 till 1895; Rev. Bruno Soengen, from December 1895
till June 23, 1905; Rev. John Biedermann, since June 30, 1905.

412 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

In Father Miller's time the congregation had forty families,
but decreased by 1905, to thirteen or fourteen, and at present
has about twenty-six famiUes, num.bering 112 souls, some of
whom live a distance of six or seven miles from the church.
One Roanoke boy has entered the Congregation of the Most
Precious Blood. There is no debt on the church property.

MEDARYVILLE.

ST. henry's church.
1869.

Medaryville was named after the owner, at the time, of
nearly all the land in this neighborhood, and it owes its present
habitable condition to persistent drainage. The Catholic
priests, who first visited this place were: Rev. John McMahon,
resided in Lafayette; Rev. Anthony King, resided in Winamac;
Rev. Joseph Stephan, resided in San Pierre.

In 1869, when the first church was built, Father Stephan
had charge. This church was a frame building, 24x43 feet,
costing about $1,200. The number of souls at this time was
about 100. The lot, on which the church stands, is located
in the business portion of the town, and was donated by Mr.
Ketchmark, a Catholic. There is no debt on the church prop-
erty. The number of souls at the present time is about seventy-
four.

The priests who have served Medaryville after 1867, were
Rev. George Steiner, Rev. Julius Becks and Rev. Burns. After
this, for ten years, the following Franciscan Fathers had charge:
Rev. Dominic Meier, O. F. M., Rev. Stephen Hoffmann, O. F.
M., Rev. Guido Stallo, O. F. M., Rev. Francis S. Schaefer,
O. F. M., Rev. Peter A. WelHng, O. F. M., Rev. Augustine
Beyer, O. F. M. Then came secular priests, as follows: Rev.
Matthias Zumbuelte, from April 1888 to June 1889; Rev. John
Berg, from June 1889 to June 8, 1893; Rev. George Schramm,
from June 8, 1893; Rev. John Blum, from December 24, 1895
to November 1, 1896; Rev. John Kubacki, from November 1,
1896 to August 6, 1900; Rev. George Horstmann, from August
6, 1900 to July 4, 1905; Rev. Julius Seimetz, since July 4, 1905.

Medaryville is a mission attended from Reynolds, on the
fourth Sunday of the month.

I

The Churches, Continued. 413

ROCHESTER.

ST. Joseph's church.
1869.

Rev. Charles Joseph Mougin is the first priest, known to
have celebrated Mass in Rochester. It was in the house of
Louis Bogner the Holy Mysteries were celebrated. Rev.
Bernard Kroeger, residing at Peru, visited and celebrated
Mass here, for several years. In 1868 Father Kroeger, in the
company of Bishop Luers, selected and bought the present
church lots. The deed is dated October 19, 1868. The
present little church was erected in 1869. After Father Kroeger,
the following priests, in the order given, and residing in different
places, attended St. Joseph's Church, at Rochester: Rev.
Frederick C. Wiechmann, Rev. George Zurwellen, Rev. Louis
A. Moench, Rev. Timothy O'Sullivan, Rev. John Dempsey,
Rev. John Kelly, Rev. Charles Thiele, Rev. Gregory A. Zern
and, at present. Rev. F. Joseph Bilstein. Monterey was the
residence of the latter three. Services are held here once a
month, on a week day. The congregation has six families, or
twenty-five souls. There is no debt on the church property.

LADOGA.

ST. p.vfrick's church.

1872.

The Catholics of Ladoga, on December 12, 1872, purchased
the Lutheran brick church of that place, and on May 4, 1873,
it was dedicated as St. Patrick's Church, by Very Rev. P. Bede
O'Connor, Vicar General of the diocese of Vincennes, assisted
by Rev. E. P. Walters, pastor of Crawfordsville. The price
paid for the building was |600, and $400 more was expended
to remodel it for divine worship. At present the congregation
numbers twelve families. The pastors of Crawfordsville,
beginning with Rev. Michael J. Clarke and continuing to the
present pastor, Rev. W. J. Quinlan, have had charge of Ladoga.

414 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

ALBION.

SACRED HEART CHURCH.

1875.

The Sacred Heart Church, at Albion, was built by Rev.
Dominic Duehmig in 1875, and placed under the special patron-
age of St. James, the Greater. It was dedicated, the same
year on the feast of St. James, by Bishop Dwenger. At that
time, the congregation consisted of twelve families. Up to
1881, it was attended from .Avilla and up to 1900, from Ege,
and since July 13, 1900, the pastor of Auburn has had charge
of it. There are nine families left of the once flourishing con-
gregation. The place is visited, at stated intervals, on week
days, to give the few remaining Catholics the opportunity of
the sacraments. The Rosary Society for married women has
four members and the Sodality for single women has three.
There is no debt on the church property.

BLUFFTON.

ST. Joseph's church.

1875.

The priests, who had charge at Bluflfton, are the following:
Rev. H. Theodore Wilken, Areola, 1872 to 1876; Rev. Ferdi-
nand Koerdt, from August 1876 to May 1896, from Sheldon;
Rev. Rudolph J. Denk, Sheldon, from May 1896 till April 1900;
Rev. J. H. Bathe, Sheldon, from April 1900 till August 12,
1900; Rev. H. A. Hellhake, Sheldon, since August 12, 1900.

Father Wilken, visiting the station Bluffton up to 1873,
celebrated Mass in the house of Timothy Enright. The present
St. Joseph's Church was built in 1875, at a cost of |1,300.
Bluffton is attended from Sheldon.

BREMEN.
ST. Dominic's church.

1875.

This church was built by Rev. Dominic Duehmig, pastor
at Avilla, in 1875. The three lots of ground were donated by
a Mr. Martin. The church cost about $1,000. It has no

p

The Churches, Continued. 415

steeple at the present time, the same having been built twice,
and as often destroyed in a storm. When the congregation
was organized, it numbered about ten families; at present the
total number of souls is fourty-eight, or ten families. The
seating capacity of the church is eighty. Father Duehmig
continued to have charge of Bremen until 1894, after which
time until September 10, 1899, it was attended from St. Hed-
wig's Church, at South Bend. From the latter date until
July 1901, Rev. Henry C. Kappel attended it from Walkerton.
It was visited by Rev. Peter A. Budnik until June 15, 1902, and
by Rev. Joseph Abel until the present time, both residing
at Walkerton. There is no debt on the church property.

WARSAV/.

SACRED HEART CHURCH.
1876.

The priests who visited Warsaw from 1856 till 1874 were:
Rev. John Ryan, of Lagro; Rev. Francis Lawler, of Laporte;
Rev. George Zurwellen, of Plymouth; Rev. Henry V. Schaefer,
of Avilla; Rev. Joseph Rademacher, of Columbia City; Rev.
Matthias Zumbuelte, of Columbia City ; Rev. Henry A. Hellhake,
of Columbia City. The number of souls, at this time, was
about fifty. During these years Mass was celebrated generally
in the house of William Dinneen, where the priest always
found cordial hospitality.

Rev. Frederick Wiechmann, of Wabash, was given charge
of Warsaw in the spring of 1874. The necessity of a church
was apparent, and he at once bought a piece of ground, 120x136
feet on West Market street, for |800. The corner-stone for
the present church was laid on June 1, 1876, and the edifice was
solemnly dedicated, by Bishop Dwenger, on the feast of the
Sacred Heart, in 1877. The church is built of brick, 40x96
feet, in the Gothic style of architecture, with a spire 100 feet
high. It has a seating capacity for 300 persons. The cost,
including furniture, was |1 2,000. The number of souls at this
time was about 120. In the autumn of 1877, Father Wiech-
mann transferred his residence from Wabash to Warsaw, where,
until September 1884, he lived in a rented house. He was the

416 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

first and only resident pastor of Warsaw, attending also to
Pierceton and Bourbon as missions. When in September 1884,
Father Wiechmann was transferred to Anderson, the debt at
Warsaw still amounted to $3,000.

Rev. A. M. Ellering, who had his residence at Columbia
City, was now given charge of Warsaw. The debt was too
much for the poor people to pay, and with his Bishop's per-
mission, Father Ellering took up collections in twenty-five
churches, and house-to-house collections in twelve parishes,
and within two years wiped out the entire debt. The pro-
ceeds of a successful fair, in 1899, made some necessary im-
provements on the church property possible. The number of
souls is eighty-seven, consisting of seventeen families. One
boy of the mission has become a priest. The League of the
Sacred Heart has twenty-seven members. Warsaw is a mis-
sion, attended from Columbia City on the fourth Sunday of
every month, and occasionally on week days.

MILLERSBURG.

ST. henry's church.

1879.

The priests, whose names are on record as having attended
to Millersburg, are: Rev. F. Holz, 1865 till 1866; Rev. A. B.
Oechtering, 1866 till 1867; Rev. William Storr, 1867; Rev.
D. Duehmig, 1867 till 1868; Rev. Henry Meissner, 1868 till
1871; Father Duehmig again, 1871 till 1878; Rev. Henry A.
Boeckelmann, 1878 till 1880; Rev. A. J. Kroeger, 1880 till
1888; Rev. S. M. Yenn, 1888 till 1896; Rev. George Lauer,
1896 till 1899; Rev. John F. Noll, 1899 till 1902; Rev. John C.
Keller, 1902 till 1903; Rev. J. B. Fitzpatrick, since 1903.
Millersburg was a station visited by the above priests until
1879, when Father Boeckelmann, the pastor at Goshen, erected
the present St. Henry's Church, a frame structure 26x45 feet.
Jacob Rink donated the ground and much of the money ex-
pended on the building. At the present time the mission is
attended from Goshen once a month. The number of souls is
only about forty.

The Churches, Continued. 417

SUMMIT.

ST. Michael's church.
li

The present St. Michael's Church, at Summit, in Smith-
field township of Dekalb county, was built in the spring of 1880,
by Rev. August Young and was dedicated by Bishop Dwenger,
on August 28, 1881. Its dimensions are 30x46 feet, with a
seating capacity of 180. Father Young was relieved of the
care of this mission by Rev. Peter Franzen, from January 20,
1882 till May 11, 1883, when this young priest died at Waterloo,
Indiana. Father Young continued to attend Summit, until
July 4, 1884, when Rev. Maximilian Benzinger received charge
and continued until October 17, 1897. The land, two acres,
on which the church stands and an additional acre for cemetery
purposes, were donated by John Matthias Schaudel, but his
funeral was the first service held in the church and his burial,
the first interment in the cemetery.

In the year 1885, Father Benzinger built the present
pastoral residence, at a cost of $1,400. The next pastor was
Rev. Herman Juraschek, from November 12, 1897, till May 18,
1899. The fourth resident pastor was Rev. Peter Schmitt.
Since July 13, 1900, Summit has been a mission, attended by
the pastor of Auburn, who visits it every Sunday, the weather
permitting. Summit has forty-six Catholic families. There
is no debt on the church property.

ADAMS COUNTY.

ST. Mary's of the presentation church.

1883.

In the year 1883, Rev. Joseph Uphaus, C. PP. S., pastor
of Holy Trinity Church in Jay county, built a frame church
three miles north of New Corydon. M. J. Kinney and M.
Finerty donated four acres of land to be used for church pur-
poses. In 1885, the church was destroyed by fire and in its
place a brick church, 40x60 feet, costing |4,000 was erected.
From the beginning until 1904, the pastors of Holy Trinity
Church also attended St. Mary's Church, in Adams county;
but since 1904 St. Mary's has Mass every Sunday and the

418 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Rev. Vincent Munich, C. PP. S., has been its pastor, with his
residence in the mission house in Jay county.

St. Mary's has twenty-four families, numbering 126 souls.
There is no debt on the church property.

KOUTS.

ST. Mary's church.
1884.

According to the memory of the oldest living Catholics at
Kouts, Rev. Joseph Stephan was the first priest, who ministered
to the spiritual wants of the few Catholics in the earliest history
of Kouts and vicinity, celebrating Mass a few times in the old
log-house of Anthony Dyszkiawicz. From August, 1864 until
1883, Rev. Michael O'Reilly, pastor at Valparaiso, attended
Kouts once in two months and then, till May 1887, once a
month. The services were held, generally, in the house of
Jerry McCarthy, one mile from town. In 1883, |700 were
collected for the building of a church and a picnic for that
purpose was held in 1884, whereupon Father O'Reilly bought
the present church lots. Shortly after, the present church
was built. When Father O'Reilly built the church, he intended
it should later on be the school-house. After May 1887, Rev.
C. Kobylinski attended Kouts two Sundays in the month,
from North Judson. After him. Rev. John Frericks, C. PP. S.,
residing at Pulaski, visited the place a few times. Then came
Rev. Dominic Shunk, C. PP. S., pastor at Wanatah, who
visited the mission at regular intervals. During his pastorate
a belfry was built, beside the church, and a bell put in. Since
1894 Kouts has been a mission attended from Monterey: Rev.
Charles Thiele, Rev. Gregory A. Zern and Rev. F. Joseph
Bilstein, being the pastors.

Kouts has thirty-one Catholic families, numbering 165
souls. The League of the Sacred Heart has forty-six, the
Rosary Society thirty-one, and the Altar Society twenty
members.

There is no debt on the church property.

Mass is said in Kouts on the second and fifth Sundays of
the month, and on Saturdays preceding the other Sundays.

The Churches, Continued. 419

WHEATFIELD.

CHURCH OF THE SORROWFUL MOTHER.
1886.

Wheatfield was part of the so-called Indian Ridge, a trail
used by the Pottawottamies from Valparaiso to Rensselaer.
The land here belonged to the Kankakee swamp, and was
reclaimed by tiling and ditching. The earliest settlers were
Germans, from Pennsylvania, emigrants originally from Baden,
on which account Wheatfield was known as "Das Badische
Settlement." Without doubt, some of the earlier missionaries
came through these regions, but the first priest, whose name
is on record as having visited the scattered farmers around
Wheatfield, was Rev. Joseph Stephan who came from San
Pierre, in 1872. He celebrated Mass on occasion of these
visits in the log-house of William Grube. For a few years
from 1880, Franciscan Fathers from Lafayette attended
Wheatfield. They said Mass in the Eagle Hotel. The Fathers,
whose names are remembered by the early settlers are: Fathers
John and Ignatius.

The succession of priests, who attended Wheatfield from
1886 till the present time, is as follows: Rev. Dominic Shunk,
C. PP. S., Wanatah, 1886 till October 1895; Rev. Alphonse M.
Grussi, C. PP. S., from October 1895 till 1897; Rev. Frank
Schalk, C. PP. S., from 1897 till February 1898; Rev. Peter
Kahellek, from February 12, 1898 till June 1898; Rev. Andrew
Gietl, C. PP. S., from June to September 1898; Rev.
Frederick Koenig, Lowell, from September 1898 till
August 6, 1905; Fathers C. PP. S., since August 1905,
under the direction of F'ather Gietl. These Fathers
were resident at the so-called Indian School, near St.
Joseph's College. Father Shunk, in 1886, organized the
congregation at Wheatfield, and constructed a log church,
12x16 feet, and dedicated it to the patronage of the Sorrowful
Mother. At that time the parish consisted of six families.
He attended from Wanatah, a distance of thirty miles. Some
of the people had to come ten miles to hear Mass. Two years
and a half were spent in this block church for divine services,
after which Father Shunk built the present church, at a cost
of |1,400. At this time the congregation consisted of twelve

420 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

families, ten German, one Irish and one French. The church
is a frame structure, and can accommodate 150 persons.
Father Grussi, in his time, improved the church property at a
cost of 1^400. The number of famihes at present is twenty-
five, and the number of souls eighty-seven. Services are held
here twice a month, by Fathers C. PP. S., from the "Indian
School." Bishop Rademacher visited Wheatfield, and admin-
istered Confirmation there, in 1895. When attending Wheat-
field, the priest occupies a room in a private house, which was
furnished by the parish, in 1906. There is here a Ladies'
Altar Society, since 1905, with thirty members, and a Men's
Society is about to be organized. Four of the families, belong-
ing to this parish, live in Wheatfield, the rest live at a distance
of from four to ten miles from town. There is no debt on the
church property.

.A.t the present time, Rev. Alphonse Mueller, C. PP. S.,
attends Wheatfield from the "Indian School."

HAMLET.

HOLY CROSS CHURCH.
1890.

The church property, at Hamlet, consists of one-half acre
of ground, and was bought by Rev. Dominic Shunk, C. PP. S.
The church was built by the same Father, in September 1890.
It cost |1,231.50, including pews and bell. It has a seating
capacity of sixty, and the total number of souls is about fifty-
eight, or ten families.

This mission was attended by priests, residing at Wanatah,
as follows: Rev. Dominic Shunk, C. PP. S., from January 3,
1891 till March 1, 1897; Rev. Edward Jakob, C. PP. S., until
September 1897; Rev. Raymond Vernimont, till January 18,
1898; Rev. Adam Buchheit, till September 10, 1899. The
following priests who visited Hamlet, resided at Walkerton:
Rev. Henry C. Kappel till July 18, 1901; Rev. Peter A. Budnik
till June 5, 1902; Rev. Joseph Abel, who has been the visiting
pastor, since June 5, 1902. There is no debt on the church
property.

The Churches, Continued. All

ROLLING PRAIRIE.

ST. JOHN CANTIUS' CHURCH.

189L

The present church was built in 1891, by Rev. W. Zborow-
ski, the resident pastor of Terre Coupee. Rolling Prairie is a
mission, visited regularly by the pastor of Terre Coupee. The
intention is to build a new church in the near future, the present
structure having been intended for a school, when it was built.
The congregation has sixty families, or 278 souls. There is no
debt on the church.

ROME CITY.

ST. Peter's church.

1891.

Tradition has it, that the early missionary Fathers offici-
ated in these parts, on their way from Detroit to Vincennes,
but there is no record of such visits. It was in the year 1891,
that Rev. Dominic Duehmig, pastor at .Avilla, took steps
towards providing the summer resort, for such Rome City had
become, with church conveniences. He collected the necessary
funds from the cottagers around Sylvan Lake, and bought two
lots in Rome City, for which he paid $425. On these lots he
erected a church costing $3,239.78, a miniature reproduction of
the famous St. Peter's in Rome, Italy. Rome City is a mission
attended from Kendall ville. It has five families, numbering
fifteen souls. The debt on the church property is $475.

ALB.'XNY.

ST. Anthony's church.
1895.

The church at Albany was built in the summer of 1895,
when Rev. Constantine iMaujay, residing at Portland, had
charge of the place. Before that time Rev. .Anthony J. Strue-
der, resident pastor at Portland, visited Albany and celebrated
Mass in private houses. The two lots, on which the church
stands, are located in the eastern part of town, and were
donated by the Cincinnati Syndicate Land Company. The

422 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

church itself, a frame building of 30x50 feet, has traces of
Gothic architecture about it and cost probably over |1,500.
The furniture is very good, and everything necessary has been
supplied. The seating capacity is about 125. When Dunkirk
received a resident pastor, Albany was attached to it; so that
Rev. William S. Hogan attended Albany from March 1900 till
September 7, 1902. At present, the very few Catholics re-
maining attend Mass at Dunkirk having the facilities of the
interurban electric road.

GENEVA.

ST. Joseph's church.
1895.

The erection of St. Joseph's Church was begun in July
1895, by Rev. Constantine Maujay, and was dedicated by
Bishop Rademacher, on October 13, of the same year. One
hundred and twenty-five dollars was paid for two lots, and the
church building itself cost $1,000. The furnishings of the
church amounted to |600. The church property is free from
debt.

St. Joseph's Church, at Geneva, was always a mission
attended by the pastors of Portland : Rev. Constantine Maujay,
till October 1900; Rev. J. P. Lasher, from November 25, 1900
till July 1, 1901; Rev. Thomas M. Conroy, from July 1, 1901
to July 1, 1902; Rev. L. R. Paquet, from July 1902 to February
1904; Rev. Paulinus Trost, C. PP. S., from March 1904 to July
1904; Rev. Lawrence A. Eberle, since July 3, 1904. At present
the membership of St. Joseph's congregation consists of only
two families.

CULVER.

ST, .Mary's of the lake church.

1897.

Culver is a town situated near Lake Maxinkuckee, a popular
summer resort of great beauty. It takes its name from the
Culver Military Academy. Before the establishment of this
institution it was known as Marmont. A neat little church
was erected in the spring of 1897, and was dedicated on July 4,

The Churches, Continued. 423

of the same year. It cost about $800, and was built under the
superintendence of Rev. Charles *Thiele, pastor of Monterey,
of which place Culver is a mission. During the summer months
services are held here on three Sundays of the month.

In 1906 the building was totally destroyed by fire, and
will likely be rebuilt in the near future.

VEEDERSBURG.

ST. Mary's church.
1897.

Veedersburg has been a mission attended from Covington,
since Covington has had a resident pastor. The church grounds
consist of one lot, 66x132 feet, donated by James Sullivan.
Before the erection of the church, Mass was celebrated in a
public hall. The church is a frame structure with a brick
basement, 26x75 feet, built in 1897, when Rev. John Tremmel
had charge, at a cost of about |2,000. The seating capacity is
150. At the present time the parish has eleven families, or
twenty-eight souls. The mission is attended on two Sundays
of the month. The debt on the church property is §150.

RED KEY.

ST. Patrick's church,

1898.

In the beginning. Red Key was called Mount Vernon.
About the year 1877, perhaps five Catholic families lived here,
and Rev. Jeremiah Quinlan attended the place from Union
City bimonthly, as did Rev. .\nthony J. Strueder and Rev.
Constantine Maujay, from Portland. These priests celebrated
Mass either at Patrick Grady's house or in a rented hall.

The church lot in Red Key is on North Meridian street.
The church is a very plain frame building, 30x40 feet, and
was erected in the spring of 1898 at a cost of $800, during the
time, when Father Maujay had charge of the place. The
Catholic population at this time was about ten families. When
Dunkirk received a resident pastor. Red Key was attached to
it; so that Rev. William S. Hogan attended Red Key, from
March 1900 till September 7, 1902. At the present time.

424 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

since September 7, 1902, Rev. John C. Wakefer, pastor at
Dunkirk, visits Red Key on the first Sunday of every month.
There are ten families at present, numbering forty souls. The
seating capacity of the church is 100. There is no debt on
the church property.

MOROCCO.

SACRED HEART CHURCH.
1899.

Rev. F. Joseph Bilstein had charge of Morocco, during his
pastorate at St. Anthony's, from February 1898 till October
1900. He built the present church at Morocco. At the
present time, the congregation numbers three families, or
fourteen souls. Morocco was attended from St. Anthony's
until Goodland received a resident pastor, when it became a
mission attached to Goodland. Rev. I. F. Zircher attends
the place at the present time.

KNIMAN.

ST. Michael's church.

1900.

In the year 1900, Very Rev. John H. Guendling, being
Administrator of the diocese, the eleven Catholic families in
Kniman and vicinity applied for permission, to erect a church
in Kniman. Up to this time, they had been members of the
Wheatfield congregation. Rev. B. Kroeger, of Logansport,
having been directed to investigate, reported favorably on
the building of a church. Rev. F. Koenig, of Lowell, had charge
of Kniman, from 1898 till August 6, 1905. A half acre of
ground was bought for |75. The church is a frame church,
having a seating capacity for 200, and cost $1,300. The
dedication took place, on June 24, 1901, Rev. M. Zumbuelte
officiating. Since August 1905, the Fathers C. PP. S., of the
"Indian School," of which Rev. A. Gietl, C. PP. S., is the
Superior, visits the place twice a month. Only one Catholic

The Churches, Continued . 425

family is living in Kniman itself, but twelve families are mem-
bers of the congregation: eight German, two Polish, two
French. The total number of souls is sixty-eight. At the
present time, Rev. Alphonse Mueller, C. PP. S., attends Kniman,
The church property is not yet out of debt.

OTTERBEIN.

ST. CHARLES' CHURCH.
1902.

Previous to the year 1902, the Catholics of Otterbein were
obliged to attend to their religious duties, either at Oxford
or Barrydale, but upon the arrival of Rev. Charles E. McCabe,
as pastor at Barrydale, having charge also of Otterbein, steps
were taken, with the consent of Bishop Alerding, towards the
organization of a parish and the building of a church. The
non-Catholic citizens of Otterbein contributed $1,000. The
corner-stone of the new church was laid by Rev. John R.
Dinnen, on October 6, 1901, in the presence of fully 2,000
people. In June 1902 the Church was dedicated by Bishop
Alerding. St. Charles' Church is a brick edifice of Gothic
design, and as it stands today, complete in every respect,
represents an expenditure of $9,000. The debt on the church
property is |406. The frescoe work is well done. The Sacred
Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Conception, St. Patrick, St.
Charles, St. Helena and St. Cecelia, are represented on the
stained glass windows.

The members of St. Charles' Parish cherish fond hopes
that, one day, side by side with the beautiful church, they may
be able to erect a suitable priest's house and have a resident
pastor. Otterbein has thirty-five families, numbering 145 souls.
The Societies are: The Rosary Society, for married and single
women, twenty-five members; the Holy Name Society, for
single men and boys, fifteen members; the Children of Mary,
twelve members; and the Catholic Order of Foresters, forty
members. Otterbein is a mission attended from Barrydale, on
every Sunday and Holyday, from Easter to Christmas, and on
every other Sunday, from Christmas to Easter.

426 The Diocese of Fort IVayne.

WOODVILLE.

CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.

1902.

The corner-stone of this church was laid, by Rev, P. J.
Crosson, having been delegated by the Bishop, on May 27,
1902, assisted by Rev. James M. Walsh. The dedication of
the same took place, on October 5, of the same year. The
President of the Georgetown University, Father Doherty,
officiated at the dedication, and the Jesuit, Father Sherman,
preached the sermon. The principal benefactor of the church
was the Hon. Patrick O'Donnell, who donated the ground, on
which the church stands, and $5,000 in cash, the cost of the
church was $9,000; the present debt is $900.

Woodville is attended from St. Vincent de Paul's Church,
Logansport.

EAST CHICAGO.

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH.
1907.

Holy Trinity Congregation, in East Chicago, is composed
of Slavo-Hungarian Catholics, and was organized in 1906. .A
very creditable, brick church, costing $10,000, was erected in
the fall of 1906. Rev. Benedict M. Rajcany is the founder of
the congregation, and attends it from St. John's Church in
North Hammond.

BUNKER HILL.
ST. Michael's church.

With the construction of the railroad from IndianapoHs
came the first Catholics to Bunker Hill and vicinity in 1857 or
1858. The Rev. Bernard J. Force, of Peru, had charge of
them, paying occasional visits and celebrating Mass in private
houses. In 1864, there were about ten families in a scattered
neighborhood southwest of Bunker Hill. In 1865, Rev. Ber-
nard Kroeger, who had charge of Peru, Kokomo, Marion,
Tipton and elsewhere, also attended Bunker Hill. With his
own hands he constructed an altar in a private house. During

The Churches, Continued. 427

four or five years he visited here- four or five times a year.
After a lapse of about ten years a lot was bought, on which
stood a small room, which had served as a shoemaker shop.
This room was fitted up and used as a church for many years.
Having been attended as a mission from Peru, it was now
attached to Marion, and visited by Revs. Crawley, Twigg,
Kelly, Strueder and Grogan. The present church was erected
in 1879. Since 1886, the mission has been attended from
Kokomo, by Rev. F. Lordemann. For a period of ten years
the little congregation was prosperous. At present it has no
more than three of four families.

ROYAL CENTRE.

SACRED HEART CHURCH.

The congregation at Royal Centre, which at one time gave
promise of a flourishing parish, has at the present date dwindled
down to four families. The pastor at Pulaski visits the place,
about every six or seven weeks, to give opportunity to receive
the sacraments. The church is in need of repairs and efforts
are being made with the aid of special generosity, on the part
of the few Catholics remaining, to have them attended to in
the near future.

WINCHESTER.
ST, Joseph's church.

It was at the home of Patrick McDonald, who settled at
Winchester, in 1854, that Rev. Daniel Maloney, coming from
Indianapolis, offered the Holy Sacrifice; and he continued to
do so from time to time. Rev. Michael Clark, believing that
Winchester would become the home of many Catholic families,
determined to reside here and secured much of the material
necessary for the building of a church and priest's house.
When several Catholic families moved away from Winchester,
he gave up the idea of becoming a resident pastor.

Winchester was a mission attended from Union City after
the departure of Father Clark, by Rev. John McMahon, Rev.
Martin Noll, Rev. Jeremiah Quinlan, Rev. Francis A. King,
Rev. M. J. Byrne and Rev. John P. Durham. During the

428 The Diocese of Fort IVayne.

illness of Father King the mission was in charge of Rev. Con-
stantine Maujay, Rev. Thomas M. Conroy and Rev. L. R.
Paquet of Portland. The church is a frame structure, 30x48
feet, well furnished and frescoed. It was erected by Father
Quinlan and frescoed by Father Byrne. Father Durham put
upon it some necessary improvements. The number of families
at the present time is about ten.

KNOX.

The Rev. Joseph Stephan, then residing at the "Indian
School," Rensselaer, was, far as known, the first priest to visit
Knox. After him Rev. George Fleisch, C. PP. S., of Monterey
visited it about three times a year, celebrating Mass in the
Army Hall, and in private houses. For six years Rev. Charles
Thiele of Monterey, and then Rev. John Kubacki of North
Judson for one year, and Rev. Peter Kahellek for one year,
the latter two residing at North Judson, visited this station.
Rev. H. C. Kappel, residing at Walkerton, attended Knox
from September 1899 to July 1901, and Rev. Peter Budnik
until June 1902, and after him Rev. Joseph Abel, until the
present time. The number of souls is thirty-eight. Despite
this small number, plans are being prepared for the building
of a church, in the near future.

MATTHEWS.

A STATION.

Matthews is a station in charge of the pastor of Fairmount,
who celebrates Mass there, twice a month. The Rev. L. R.
Paquet was the first priest to visit Matthews, regularly. There
are at present three Catholic families there. Mass is celebrated
in a hall, rented for that purpose.

CHAPTER XVI.

RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES OF MEN.

THE CONGREGATION OF HOLY CROSS (c. S. C.)*
1842.

A Golden Jubilee is one of the occasions upon which a
strain of eulogy is admittedly congruous to voice or pen.
Mere self-glorification, the boastfulness of pretentious vanity
is indeed perenially censurable; but the symmetrical rounding-
out of a man's, or an institution's, full half-century of benefi-
cent activity amply justifies the accents of panegyric in re-
counting the virtues of the one or in recapitulating the glories
of the other. In the case of the fiftieth anniversary of a diocese,
many of whose founders and builders have gone to the reward
of their zealous labors, there needs no other warrant for en-
comiastic tributes than the scriptural counsel: "Praise we
now the men of renown, our fathers in their generation." It
will accordingly be not only permissable, but thoroughly in
harmony with the purpose of this commemorative volume, to
record herein the narrative of a district, the possession of
which within its boundaries constitutes for the diocese of Fort
Wayne a glory greater than accrues to any other see in this
country, not to say the major part of the Catholic world.

Even apart from its specific appropriateness to the present
history, the tale of Notre Dame's humble foundation, rapid
growth, and marvellous development is the story which, as
illustrating the filial reliance of one Knight of Mary on the
protecting care of the Mother whom he loved so tenderly, and
as emphasizing the congruousness of unlimited trust in the
Blessed Virgin, can scarcely be told too often. It is a story
of notable deeds performed by men of faith; an account of

*By Rev. Arthur Barry O'Neill, C. S. C.

430 The Diocese of Fort IVayne.

Herculean labors undertaken with an eye single to the glory
of God and His gracious Mother; a record of zeal rewarded,
of sacrifices blest, of love triumphant over every obstacle.

Sixty-five years ago, when a poor young foreign missionary
priest and five poor foreign religious Brothers settled in Northern
Indiana upon an uncultivated tract of forest land, with naught
but a little rude log cabin to distinguish it from the merest
sylvan wilderness, confidence in the Mother of God, supple-
mented by their individual labors, was the only capital they
had to invest in the arduous enterprise of founding in this
Western country a shrine of religious education. No princely
endowments, no munificent donations of a million dollars, or
a hundred thousand, or a thousand, came to accelerate their
material prosperity; and yet never did dollars and cents in-
vested in a business venture yield such magnificent results as
have sprung from their steadfast reliance on our Lady's aid,
and their constant endeavors to procure her favor. Much is
written from time to time of the wondrous development,
especially since 1871, of the great Western metropolis; but
stupendous as has been the growth of the old-time village by
Lake Michigan that has come to be Chicago, the political
economist, taking account of merely human resources, will
find it an easier matter to explain that growth, than to assign
the causes of the marvellous transformation, that has made of
the barren wilderness on the banks of the St. Joseph River the
most splendid sanctuary of religion and science to be found on
the continent. The true explanation is beyond the economist:
Notre Dame was built with "Hail Marys."

Essential to a proper understanding of what has been
accomplished in this garden-spot of the Church in America is
a brief account of the religious family that has attended to its
cultivation. The Congregation of Holy Cross was in its incep-
tion, a by-product of the great French Revolution, or, rather,
of the reaction from the frenzied hatred of religion and religious
education that marked the decade, from the meeting of the
States General in 1789 to the end of the Directory in 1799. As
at present constituted, the Congregation is the result of Rome's
officially uniting two distinct societies, the Brothers of St.
Joseph, founded at Ruille in 1820, and the Auxiliary Priests of
Mans, established in 1835.

I

Religious Communiiies, Continued. 431

An excellent summary of the purposes and activities of
the amalgamated associations is given in the following letter,
dated May 4, 1840, and addressed to Pope Gregory XVI by
Mgr. Bouvier, Bishop of Mans:

"Basil Anthony Moreau, honorary canon, and former pro-
fessor of theology and holy scripture in our diocesan seminary,
has, with the consent of the present bishop, established a house*
near the city of Mans, and has there assembled certain priests
burning with love for souls and enamored of poverty and
obedience, who follow the community life under his direction,
and are always ready to announce the word of God, to hear
confessions, to conduct retreats for communities, etc. They
are called Auxiliary Priests and are already fifteen in number.
They live on voluntary offerings and on the profits accruing
from the board and tuition of a hundred pupils.

"As the Brothers of the Christian Doctrine do not under-
take the charge of establishments unless they can live at least
three together and receive an annual salary of six hundred
francs each, they cannot be procured for schools in the country
parishes and the small towns. A pious pastor of Ruille, James
Francis Dujarief, about the year 1820 gathered into his pres-
bytery a number of virtuous young men, kept them at his own
expense, taught them, and prepared them to become primary
teachers for the parishes in which the services of the Christian
Brothers were unattainable. Thus were founded the Brothers
of St. Joseph.

"The present Bishop of Mans, seeing that the novitiate of
these Brothers could not be suitably maintained in the country
district, took measures to transfer them to the episcopal city.
With the consent of the founder who was still alive, though
weighed down with infirmities, he gave to the congregation as
Superior the aforenamed Fr. Moreau. The latter, having
nothing in view but the good of religion, assumed the heavy
burden and united the novitiate to the Auxiliary Priests.
Thus there are now in the same house the Auxiliary Priests,
the pupils, the novice Brothers, and the teachers. This new
institute already numbers eighty persons scattered through
thirty-nine establishments, and forty-five novices. Yesterday

*In the commune of Holy Cross, whence the name of ihe Congregation.
tFounder also of the Sisters of Providence.

432 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

three Brothers under the direction of one of the priests, set out
to build up an establishment in Algeria, Africa, and others will
soon be sent to the diocese of Vincennes in America."

The concluding sentence of Bishop Bouvier's letter affords
the natural transition from the history of the Congregation's
origin in the old world to the story of its initial activities in
the new. Some years prior to the date of the foregoing letter,
Vincennes' first bishop, Mgr. Brute of saintly memory, had
made earnest and eloquent appeals in different diocesan sem-
inaries of France for missionaries to aid him in the arduous
work of spreading the gospel through Indiana; and his suc-
cessor, Bishop de la Hailandiere, had, in 1839, specifically
pleaded with Fr. Moreau for volunteers from the ranks of Holy
Cross to work on the American mission. Volunteers were not
wanting, but lack of material resources prevented for some
months the execution of the desired project, the migration
across the Atlantic of some priests and Brothers of the youthful
religious family of Holy Cross. Not, indeed, till a year after
the date of Bishop Bouvier's communication to Rome, did-
Mgr. de la Hailandiere receive the assurance that his hopes
were about to be realized. In the summer of 1841 there came
to him a letter from the young priest whom Fr. Moreau, with
admirable, not to say prophetic, provision, had selected as
leader of the American mission band. A brief extract from
this hitherto unpublished letter merits reproduction here, as
showing the quality of its author and the sentiments with
which he looked forward to a life that humanly speaking,
could scarcely be other than one of exile, privation, unceasing
toil, and infrequent consolations:

"Never has Divine Providence appeared to me so kind,
so merciful, so lovable; never has my heart been so touched
with His goodness and so happy, as since I have learned that
it is I whom He has deigned to select in order to give your
Lordship one more priest to labor in your immense diocese
for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Would that
I had been able, Monseigneur, to announce to you my happiness
long before this, and to have sooner relieved your own anxious
uncertainty with respect to our Community; but we had per-
force to await the manifestation of Heaven's will. Personally,
I have not the slightest doubt of that will. It seems to me

Religious Communities, Continued. 433

that our Good Master is leading _me towards you by the hand,
as it were; and 'tis this that fills me with ineffable joy."

To the letter from which the foregoing paragraph has been
extracted there was signed the name of a young Levite just
twenty-seven years old, whose ordination as a priest of Holy
Cross had taken place three years before. While his exemplary
piety, his burning zeal, and his intellectual equipment justified
his Superiors in expecting notable results from his labors in
the field to which they appointed him, it is extremely doubtful
whether Fr. Moreau who sent, or Bishop de la Hailandiere who
received him, had formed at that time any measurably adequate
idea of the magnitude which those results were to assume,
even during the Levite's lifetime. Read by the Bishop of
Vincennes in 1841, the young missionary's name told little or
nothing; read today, in the light of two-thirds of a century's
experience, that name connotes a heroic figure in the history
of the Church in America; a foremost champion of the twin
causes that make for the permanent prosperity of our Republic,
religion and education; and one of the most loving, dauntless,
and victorious Knights of Our Lady that ever wore her colors
and extended her sway in this Western hemisphere, Fr. Edward
Sorin, Founder of Notre Dame.

Accompanied by six brothers, Fr. Sorin took passage, in
August, 1841, in the steerage of the packet boat Iowa at Havre;
reached New York on September 13th; said his first Mass in the
new world on the next day, by a happy coincidence the Feast
of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross; and, proceeding by canal
boat and stage coach, finally reached Vincennes on the second
Sunday of October. An incident deservedly mentioned by all
chroniclers of the arrival of Holy Cross' pioneer priest in America
is his first act on landing at New York; he fell on his knees
and, as earnest of his unswerving fealty to the country of his
adoption, devoutly kissed the soil. In a similar spirit, he
concluded his first letter to Fr. Moreau with — "Here is the
adoption of my inheritance; here will I dwell all the days of
my life."

The activities of the Holy Cross missionaries during their
first year in Indiana found their scope at St. Peter's, twenty-
seven miles east of Vincennes; but the religious were perma-
nently settled only in the following year, 1842. Bishop de la

434 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Hailandiere proffered to the Community, and Fr. Sorin grate-
fully accepted, a tract of land near the village of South Bend
on the St. Joseph River. The gift was subject to two con-
ditions: That a college and a novitiate should be built within
two years; and that the Indians and the white settlers in the
neighboring districts should receive Fr. Sorin's sacerdotal
ministry. The acceptance of the gift definitely fixed the resi-
dence of the Congregation in a territory which, a decade and a
half later was to form a portion of the new diocese of Fort
Wayne.

Of the territory in question, the author of "The Priests
of Holy Cross"* gives the following interesting historical
sketch: "Over this ground passed the saintly Marquette more
than two hundred years ago and in an unknown grave some-
where along the banks of the St. Joseph's River a mile away
sleeps the ashes of the great Allouez. La Salle and Tonty and
the picturesque Hennepin wandered through these woods, and
within a short afternoon's journey from Notre Dame is the site
of the old fort St. Joseph where was fought a brief but terrible
battle in the days of discovery. In 1831 Fr. Stephen Theodore
Badin, the first priest ordained in the United States, purchased
a section of land surrounding the twin lakes with the express
design of holding it as the site for a future Catholic college, and
in 1836 he had given it to the Bishop of Vincennes to be used
for that purpose. Fr. Badin had made Notre Dame a centre
of missionary activity throughout Northern Indiana and
Southern Michigan, and his successor Fr. Deseille, following in
the footsteps of the zealous proto-priest, had made his home
for five years in a room of the little chapel of the mission. In
the autumn of 1837, however, this holy missionary fell into a
mortal illness. * * * An hour before he breathed his last
he had himself lifted from his deathbed and borne in the arms
of his sorrowing Indians to the chapel. Still supported on
either side, he had strength enough to clasp the key of the
tabernacle in his trembling fingers and to administer to him-
self the Holy Viaticum.

"The next apostle of Notre Dame was Fr. Benjamin Petit.
Two days after his ordination he was sent to 'succeed a saint,'
as Bishop Brute told him in commissioning him to take up the

*Rev. John Cavanaugh. C. S. C.

Religious Communities, Continued. 435

work of Fr. Deseille. Of all the early missionaries this brilliant
and magnetic young priest was most affectionately regarded
by both the settlers and the Indians; and when he died, scarcely
twelve months after his ordination, he was loved as Fr. Sorin
tells us, 'as none of his predecessors, excellent as they were,
had ever been loved.' "

To the district thus consecrated by the labors of zealous
pioneer missionaries, and redolent of hallowed memories of
saintly confessors and quasi-martyrs, came, then, in 1842, the
builder of the later Notre Dame, no unworthy successor to
even the holiest and hardiest of those who had gone before him.
His own account of his arrival reads less like the description
of an Indiana journey of only sixty-five years ago than of an
event at least thrice as far distant "in the dark backward and
abysm of time."

"We started (from St. Peter's) on the 16th of November,"
he wrote, "and indeed, it required no little courage to under-
take the journey at such a season. I cannot but admire the
sentiments with which it pleased God to animate our little band,
who had more than one hundred miles to travel through the
snow. The first day the cold was so intense that we could
advance only about five miles. The weather did not moderate
for a moment; each morning the wind seemed more piercing
as we pushed forward on our journey due north. But God
was with us. None of us suffered severely, and at length, on
the eleventh day after our departure, five of us arrived at
South Bend, the three others being obliged to travel more
slowly with the ox team transporting our effects.

"A few hours afterwards we came to Notre Dame du Lac.
Everything was frozen and yet it all appeared so beautiful.
The lake, particularly, with its mantel of snow resplendent in
its whiteness, was to us a symbol of the stainless purity of our
august Lady whose name it bears, and also of the purity of
soul which should characterize the new dwellers on these
beautiful shores. Our lodgings appeared to us — as indeed
they are— but little different from those at St. Peter's. We
made haste to inspect on the banks of the lakes the various
sites which had been so highly praised. Yes, like little children,
we went from one extremity to the other, in spite of the cold,
perfectly enchanted with the marvellous beauties of our new

436 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

abode. Oh, may this Eden ever be the home of innocence
and virtue! Once again in our life we felt that Providence had
been good to us, and we blessed God with all our hearts."

The detailed story of the development of Notre Dame from
the creation of the first college building, the corner-stone of
which was laid in August, 1843, to the magnificent group of
more than a score of handsome edifices — collegiate church;
central administration building; residence halls; institutes of
science, technology, and electrical and mechanical engineering;
theatre; gymnasium; provincial residence; seminary; novitiate;
community house; printing offices; and half a dozen accessory
structures — would occupy many times the space alloted to
this chapter. The most that can be attempted is a rigidly
summarized account of this gratifying growth and a brief
mention of the especially notable events in the history of the
University. Sadly prominent among these latter is the epi-
demic of cholera that ravaged the ranks of the Community in
1854, carrying off the members with a rapidity and a violence
that threatened the total extinction of Holy Cross in America.
It was a trial calculated permanently to discourage any leader
of less than heroic mould; but, indomitable in his zeal for
God's glory, and supremely confident in the unfailing assistance
and protection of his Heavenly Mother, Fr. Sorin not only
preserved his own courage but effectively rallied the drooping
spirits of all his surviving co-workers, and the work of growth
and expansion went on uninterruptedly.

Eleven years after the cholera scourge, this expansion
justified the erection of a new and a more commodious college
building. Begun in 1865, it was completed early in the follow-
ing year, and was dedicated on May 31, 1866, by Archbishop
Spalding of Baltimore. The new edifice, a hundred and sixty
feet long by eighty feet in width, was six stories high, and was
surmounted by a colossal statue of Our Lady. These ampler
accommodations were taken advantage of by a steadily in-
creasing number of students, and the annals of the following
thirteen years record a tale of continuous progress and pros-
perity.

In 1879, however, the tale takes on another and a more
sombre hue. On April 23, of that year, occurred a disastrous
fire which in a few hours reduced to ashes not only the main

Religious Communities, Continued. 437

university structure but almost every other building in its
immediate neighborhood. Apart from the destruction of much
that money could never replace, the financial loss was, to a
religious community, tremendous; and the available insurance
was trifling. The way in which the disaster was met illustrates,
better than would do pages of analytical exposition, the spirit
that has ever dominated the builders of Notre Dame, and
furnishes the key to the undeniably magnificent success that
has crowned their efforts. With whole-hearted devotedness
and whole-souled devotion they worked and prayed, nay,
rather, they prayed and worked. The first gift towards the
building of a new university that Fr. Sorin received — it was a
check for one thousand dollars — he sent to a priest in a distant
city with a request for prayers and Masses in behalf of Notre
Dame. Trust in Providence and in Our Lady was accompanied,
in those heart-rending April days of 1879 as always in the history
of the Congregation, by untiring personal exertion on the part
of all its members. Before the ashes of the old buildings were
cold the work of constructing the new ones was begun; and in
September of the same year they were opened to a larger number
of students than the fire had dispersed.

Since 1879, no untoward event has occurred to arrest the
progress of the University, whose teaching faculty of more
than three score members now proffer to a body of students
numbering from seven to eight hundred no fewer than thirteen
collegiate courses — in classics, letters, economics and history,
journalism, art, science, pharmacy, law, engineering (civil,
mechanical, chemical and electrical), and architecture, in
addition to thorough preparatory and commercial courses.

It is certainly not strange that, looking upon the material
evidences of the success which has so abundantly crowned the
faith and zeal of Fr. Sorin and of his co-laborers and successors
among the Fathers and Brothers of Holy Cross, men competent
to speak authoritatively on the subject, have repeatedly
averred that the University of Notre Dame is not merely a
peerless blessing and unrivalled glory to the diocese of Fort
Wayne, but the greatest tribute which the Western hemisphere
has thus far ofi'ered to the Blessed Virgin. In very truth, the
star-crowned colossal statue of Our Lady, dominating at a
height of more than two hundred feet the golden dome of the

438 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

central edifice; the adjacent noble church, that treasure-house
of religious art and beauty, from whose belfry a brazen-throated
monster booms out the Angelus with an exultation that drowns
the loudest shriek and roar of factory and railway; the number,
variety, and thorough equipment of libraries, laboratories,
halls, ancillary departments— these naturally impress the minds
and are apt to elicit the enthusiastic praises of even the most
transient visitors to Our Lady's Indiana home.

And yet, without minimizing in any degree the true sig-
nificance of the noble University— fully acknowledging, on the
contrary, both the capital importance of the CathoHc education
for which it stands, and the far-reaching beneficent influence
of the thousands who have learned, and are learning, within
its walls to combine practical virtue with intellectual develop-
ment,— it may be questioned whether Fr. Sorin did not found
a still greater work than the University, dower Fort Wayne
with its most glorious possession, and estabUsh his own highest
claim to the Blessed Virgin's favor when, in 1865, he began the
publication of The Ave Maria. "They who declare me shall
have life everlasting," was the significant text of the first
sermon he ever preached on Our Blessed Lady; and assuredly
through no other agency in either hemisphere during the past
four decades have Mary's dignity and prerogatives, her beauty
and her glory, the omnipotence of her supplication and the
unfathomable depths of her compassionate tenderness, been
declared so constantly and so adequately, with such loving
enthusiasm and persuasive insistence, as through the salutary
pages of that magazine, "devoted to the honor of the Blessed
Virgin," and wearing as its appropriate title the Angel of the
Incarnation's greeting to the Lily of Israel, the Judean Maiden
"full of grace."

The press in our day is rightly regarded as the university
of the people; it is a perennial school and college from the
influence of whose lessons and lectures no graduation-day will
ever mark the people's deliverance. CathoHc journalism in
particular has come to be regarded, notably during the pon-
tificate of Leo XIII and that of our present Sovereign Pontiff
Pius X., as an apostolate whose practical importance it is
difficult to overestimate. Of late years the members of the
hierarchy in frequent pastoral letters, and the ablest pastors

Religious Communities, Continued. 439

in occasional pulpit utterances, h^ve emphasized the duty, and,
as a preservative of the faith, the quasi-necessity, binding the
faithful to support the Catholic paper and magazine. Fr.
Sorin, with the prevision of a seer, recognized the growing
ascendancy of the press at a period when its coming dominance
was not so patent as at present, and forthwith seized it as one
of the engines with which he and his congregation should do
mighty things for the glory of God, the honor of God's Mother,
and the upbuilding of the Church in America.

Of all the works of that venerable patriarch, the great good
priest whose bronze counterfeit now meets one's gaze at the very
entrance to Notre Dame, The Ave Maria has ever appeared to
the mind of the present writer the very noblest, most blessed,
and most meritorious; the worthiest of his offerings to his
beloved Mother, and the Congregation of Holy Cross, most
estimable service to the English-speaking Catholic world. It
would be easy, were space available, to fortify this opinion
with a wealth of testimony proffered by the prelates and the
press of many climes, all certifying in terms of fervid eulogy
to the notable excellence of this "ideal Catholic family maga-
zine." Who, indeed, that even partially apprehends the import
of the Catholic press in this day of virulant attacks on the
faith from without, and, as Pius X has recently declared, of
still more deplorable undermining of that faith by some of
those within the fold; who that has seriously pondered the
njagnitude of the results to religion and society involved in
the nature of the household's reading, will venture to estimate
the measure of good that has been, and is being, accomplished
by the weekly visits of Our Lady's magazine to tens of thousands
of Catholic homes in this republic and in many a land beyond
the ocean!

Any mention of this special glory of the Congregation of
Holy Cross would be inadequate did it fail to note one particular
in which the magazine differs from the University, as from
other works of the Community. Founded, like them, by Fr.
Sorin, it has developed and prospered under the direction of
one mind rather than many. The University of Notre Dame,
as it stands today, is the resultant achievement of successive
presidents; Fathers Dillon and Corby, Lemonnier and Colovin,
Walsh and Morrissey and Cavanaugh; The Ave Maria is vir-

440 The Diocese of Fori Wayne.

tually the work of one man, who has stood at its editorial
helm for upwards of three decades, and has identified his life
with its progress, Fr. Daniel E. Hudson.

Not that either the editor of The Ave Maria, or any one of
the presidents just mentioned would dream of arrogating to
himself alone the credit of the good accomplished and the
success achieved. Devoted and energetic co-workers they all
have had, not only in their fellow priests and the lay and
teaching Brothers of the Congregation, but in the Sisters of
Holy Cross as well. While the specific story of these Sisters
will be found in another chapter of this book, the symmetry
of the present chapter would be sadly imperfect, and the story
of Notre Dame be lamentably incomplete if brief reference at
least were not made to the genuinely important, if congruously
unobtrusive, role played in that story by these self sacrificing
daughters of Father Sorin. In the composing room of The
Ave Maria, as in St. Edward's Hall of the University, in laundry
and kitchen and infirmary and sewing room, they have, all
through the years of Notre Dame's trials and triumphs, con-
tributed their full share of cordial sympathy, ungrudging work,
and efficacious prayer.

So, too, of the Brothers of Holy Cross. A constituent
element of the Congregation — numerically, indeed, its larger
element — Notre Dame owes to their devotedness and their
spirit of self-sacrifice far more than thrusts itself upon tl^e
notice of the superficial observer. Inconspicuous as the
majority, especially of the lay Brothers, uniformly appeared;
as hidden from the public gaze as are the stokers of a mammoth
ocean liner, — they have, throughout every decade since the
winter of 1842, done valiant work not less essential to the rise
and progress of Notre Dame than is the stoker's activity to
the speeding of the steamship. Not only in class-room and
study-hall, in students' office and on the campus, in residence
halls and dormitories, in press rooms and publishing offices,
but on the farm and in the garden, in sacristy and store, and
in each of the score of different trades and handicrafts, the
Brothers of Holy Cross have superabundantly justified both
the wisdom of their original union with the Fathers of the Con-
gregation, and the foresight of Father Sorin in counting largely

Religious Communities, Conitnued. 441

upon them for the assistance imperatively needed in the pros-
ecution of his Hfe work.

The activities of Holy Cross outside the diocese of Fort
Wayne can claim no space in a commemorative volume such
as this; so nothing need be said of the Congregation's enter-
prises in other portions of this country, or in Canada, India,
or Rome. Apart from the educational and journaHstic work
that is being accomplished at Notre Dame, its diocesan activ-
ities are comprised in the school at Fort Wayne and in the
pastoral charge of the eight churches in the city of South Bend.
The historical sketches of these parishes appearing in another
portion of this book obviate the necessity of dwelling upon
them here.

It would, however, be an unpardonable omission in any
story, however brief, of Notre Dame and its builders to forego
mention of the cordial relations that have always subsisted
between the Congregation of Holy Cross and the great body
of the secular clergy of Indiana; and it would be a still more
unpardonable omission to neglect recording in this Golden
Jubilee volume the Congregation's grateful appreciation of
the manifold powers, the sympathetic encouragement, and the
not infrequent cooperation for which its sincerest thanks have
been due and rendered to the successive bishops of Fort Wayne,
and not in least measure, to the present venerated incumbent
of the see, the Right Reverend Mgr. Alerding. Deference to
ecclesiastical superiors is a duty sedulously inculcated in the
novitiates of Holy Cross, and harmonious action with episcopal
authority its administrators have found to be a prerequisite
condition for the blessing of God upon their words and works.
It is a genuine pleasure to testify that nowhere in the sphere of
the Congregation's activities has the duty been more easy, or
the harmony more constant, than here in Northern Indiana.

One word as to the present status of Holy Cross, and the
promise of future development which that status seems to hold,
will be a not inappropriate conclusion to this sketch of a
Religious Congregation having its Mother-house within the
diocese. In 1841 the Congregation numbered in the United
States one priest and six Brothers; today the roll of ecclesiastics
counts about one hundred and fifty, while the Brothers are
nearly two hundred strong. The recent erection at Notre

442 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Dame of Dujarie Institute, a house for young men aspiring to
the Brotherhood, is an indication that under the adminis-
tration of Very Reverend Provincial Morrissey, renewed efforts
are to be made to foster vocations to the rehgious hfe, vocations
which very certainly exist, and will assuredly fructify if only
they be properly developed. The dismemberment of the Con-
gregation in persecuted France is a calamity not without at
least one compensating feature. The presence in any com-
munity, or in any diocese, of a veritable man of God is a bene-
diction of priceless worth, and not only Holy Cross but the
whole diocese of Fort Wayne may well rejoice in one result of
French anti-clericalism, the permanent residence henceforward
at Notre Dame of the Superior General of the Congregation,
Very Reverend Gilbert Francais, C. S. C.

CHAPTER XVII.

RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES OF MEN,
CONTINUED,

THE CONGREGATION OF THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD (c. PP. S.)

1854.

The Congregation of the Most Precious Blood was founded
in the beginning of the last century by Ven. Casper del Bufalo,
a priest of Rome and a Canon at St. Peter's, for the purpose of
spreading the devotion of the Most Precious Blood and of the
giving of missions. Upon an invitation of the Most Rev.
John B. Purcell, D. D., Archbishop of Cincinnati, through his
Vicar General Henni, the saintly Rev. Francis Salesius Brunner
with several companions: Revs. A. Meyer, M. J. Wittmer,
M. Probst, J. Ringele, P. A. Capeder, J. Van den Broek and J.
B. Jacomet, embarked for America and arrived in Cincinnati
on January 1, 1844. The Archbishop assigned to them the
church of St. Alphonse at Norwalk, Huron county, Ohio.
From here they were to extend their administrations and
missionary labors over the entire northwestern portion of the
diocese of Cincinnati. The band of priests set out heroically
for the wilderness and began their work, visiting the settlers
dispersed through this region, and building churches where-
ever they found a number of the faithful sufficient to form the
nucleus of a parish. If the prospects for the growth of the
Catholic population within a certain locality seemed favorable,
a convent was also erected in connection with the church to
serve as a home for the missionaries, and in some cases also
for the Brothers and Sisters.

Of the number of convents thus founded mention may be
made of two: St. Charles Boromeo at Carthagena, Mercer
county, Ohio, and St. Mary's Home near New Corydon, Jay
county, Indiana. The former is the Mother-house and head-

444 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

quarters of the American Province of the Congregation of the
Most Precious Blood and the seat of the Seminary, and the
latter is the first foundation within the limits of the present
diocese of Fort Wayne. Founded in 1854 it was continued as
a house for a small community of Sisters, who support them-
selves by the labor of their hands. The chaplain, as well as the
pastor of the Holy Trinity Parish Church and his assistant,
reside near the convent. St. Mary's Church in Adams county
is attended from here. For a number of years this remained
the only charge of the Fathers of the Most Precious Blood in
the Diocese of Fort Wayne. Several of the Fathers, however,
notably Rev. Cosmas Seeberger, were engaged as missionaries
and assistants to the pastors.

In 1873 Bishop Dwenger, a member of the Congregation
of the Most Precious Blood, asked them to assume charge of
St. Peter's Church at Winamac. The parish of Indian Creek,
begun at the same time, was afterwards incorporated into that
of Pulaski. Both have continued since in charge of the Fathers
C. PP. S. Mention must also be made of the labors of Rev.
Dominic Shunk, C. PP. S., and others who had care of the
scattered Catholics of a large portion of northwestern Indiana,
building churches and chapels, and nursing the germs of Catho-
licity in a very unpromising field. Some of the churches thus
founded, such as North Judson, Wanatah and others, are now
in charge of resident secular priests.

In 1888 the Society took charge of the Indian School at
Rensselaer, which had shortly before been erected by Miss
(Mother) Catharine Drexel. Here many Indian children
received the rudiments of an education, and a training in piety
and character, until the withdrawal of the government support
in 1896 made a continuance of the work impossible. The farm
and buildings were then rented by the Fathers C. PP. S. from
the Catholic Indian Bureau and later acquired by purchase.
The building is now the home of two monthly Catholic publi-
cations, The Messenger and The Botschafter. At the time the
Indian School was confided to the Fathers, St. Augustine's
parish at Rensselaer was also placed in their charge.

A few years later the first steps were taken towards the
foundation of a Catholic college to be conducted by the Fathers
C. PP. S. As this is now a flourishing institution of learning

Religious Communities, Continued. 445

and the chief house of the Congregation in the diocese a more
detailed account must be given of its origin and growth. Upon
the place now occupied by the College, the diocese had main-
tained an orphan asylum which was discontinued about 1884,
the girls being removed to Fort Wayne and the boys to Lafay-
ette. Bishop Dwenger, desirous of having a college for Cath-
olic youth exclusively, invited the Fathers C. PP. S. to found
a college here, offering them the land here for this purpose.
The offer was accepted and a handsome building erected,
which opened its doors in September 1891, under the name of
St. Joseph's College. Its first rector was Rev. Augustine
Seifert, C. PP. S., who was assisted by a faculty of five pro-
fessors. The register of students for the first year shows
fifty-four names. During the next few years the College
grew rapidly, extending its course of instruction, perfecting
its plan of teaching and general equipment, and more than
doubling the number of students. In 1893 the main building
was enlarged to twice its size and in 1897 a separate structure
was erected for the use of the junior students and pupils of
music. The grounds were also beautified, and various smaller
buildings were added to supply the growing needs of the insti-
tution.

Having thus increased its capacity the College was enabled
to add a Normal Department to those already existing, namely,
the Collegiate, Commercial, and Preparatory. The Collegian,
a monthly journal, published by the students, was launched
in 1894, to stimulate the literary activities of the students.

In 1896 the first class in the Collegiate department was
graduated. Since then the growth of the College has been a
steady one, advancing each year in material equipment as well
as efficiency. Whatever defects were found to exist in the
course were remedied, more attention was given to branches
that are of practical importance and usefulness, the various
courses were systematized and harmonized, and some of them
were reorganized in accordance with modern methods and
standards. In all these changes approved methods were not
discarded, nor the course of instruction weakened by the intro-
duction of useless matter at the expense of the more important
branches. While the students are encouraged to improve
their literary, dramatic and oratorical abilities under the super-

446 The Diocese of Fort IVayne.

vision of the professor, they are not permitted to do so to the
detriment of their regular studies. Nor are athletic activities
allowed to usurp the interests of the students and to interfere
with their work in the study hall and class rooms.

In 1904 a long felt want of the students was met by the
erection of a new gymnasium, at a cost of $30,000, to serve
them for various social and athletic purposes. All the meetings
of the students are held in the large hall, as are also the enter-
tainments and contests. The stage is provided with several
sets of beautiful scenery.

In 1906 the curricculum was once more extended by the
introduction of a course in civil engineering. The College is
at present attended by more than one hundred and seventy
students, and has a faculty of sixteen, of whom two are lay-men.

In 1898, in compliance with the wish of his predecessor,
Bishop Dwenger, Bishop Rademacher established the Fathers
C. PP. S. in the city of Fort Wayne. The Very Rev.
Henry Drees, Provincial C. PP. S. sent the Rev. Francis
Nigsch, C. PP. S., to organize the parish of the Most Precious
Blood in the northwestern portion of the city by erecting a
church and school and also a Mission House. The parish has
enjoyed a steady growth and is in a flourishing condition. At
present the Fathers have a chaplain at St. Joseph's Hospital
in Fort Wayne and at the Kneipp Sanitarium in Rome City.
The Fathers C. PP. S., it can be said, have always endeavored
to cooperate with the diocesan clergy in parochial, missionary
and educational work.

I

CHAPTER XVIll,

RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES OF WOMEN,

THE SISTERS OF HOLY CROSS.*

1843.

The Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, founded
at Le Mans, France, by the Very Reverend Basil Moreau, was
still a young and comparatively unformed religious body, when
the priests and Brothers of the Holy Cross, under the intrepid
leadership of Father Sorin, left France for the New World.
They came in answer to the call of Apostolic missionaries — ■
among them the saintly Brute, Bishop of Vincennes, and his
successor, Bishop de la Hailandiere, — and, in November, 1842,
we find the pioneer band of Holy Cross on the banks of the
St. Joseph River, dedicating their new home to Mary Immacu-
late, under the title Noire Dame du Lac.

In June, 1843, the first Sisters of the Holy Cross arrived
in this country, and, viewed in the light of future develop-
ments, the names of these foundation religious, Sisters Mary
of the Sacred Heart, Calvary, Bethlehem and Nazareth, seem
to symbolize the two-fold nature of the life to which the sister-
hood was called, that of Mary and that of Martha. The same
year brought a second colony, and the little community at once
took charge of the sacristy, infirmary, laundry, dairy and other
domestic departments, forgetting in their devoted labors the
cost of their sacrifice.

With more than mere human foresight. Father Sorin saw
the need of establishing the Sisters permanently and of opening
a Novitiate. That the proposed Mother-House should be con-
venient to Notre Dame, and, at the same time, sufficiently
distant to insure favorable conditions of cloistral isolation, was
understood and appreciated by Father Sorin and the Sisters,

'''Conunumcatecl.

448 The Diocese of Fort JVayne.

and the extensive tract of land at the disposition of the Con-
gregation offered more than one advantageous site. Bishop
Hailandiere, however, fearing that the proximity of two
religious communities of women — he himself had but lately
brought the Sisters of Providence to Sainte Marie des Bois, —
would prove detrimental to the growth of both institutes,
refused permission to establish a novitiate and mother-house
in his diocese, that of Vincennes.

Father Sorin then addressed himself to Bishop Lefevre, of
Detroit, who consented to a foundation at Bertrand, Michigan,
about eight miles from Notre Dame. This permission was
almost immediately withdrawn, at the instance of Bishop
Hailandiere; but, through the mediation of Bishop Purcell,
later Archbishop of Cincinnati, objections were over-ruled, the
prohibition -was removed, and the Mother-House of the Con-
gregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in America was
opened, at Bertrand, in July, 1844. In September of the same
year, the first investiture in the habit of the Order took place,
marking the beginning of growth in the humble community.

From 1844 to 1855, the Congregation shaped itself along
the various lines of work which Divine Providence seemed to
point out, and the close of the first decade of activity found
the Sisters not only carrying out the primal object of their
coming to the New World, — that is, the conduct of domestic
affairs for the priests and Brothers at Notre Dame, — but also
charged with the care of a home for orphans and deaf mutes,
an Industrial School and an Academy at Bertrand, and a
school for Indians at Pokagon. This summary of achievement
includes much unwritten history, unwritten but not unrecorded
in the annals of eternity. The period, though one blessed
with a measure of success, was wanting in the sense of stability
which cannot be enjoyed by the children of the Church when
full episcopal approbation is withheld. There was no censure
on the Community, but the atmosphere had not the clearness
of perfect understanding, and this took from the value of
material successes which came as answer to labor and prayer.

In 1855, with the permission of Bishop de St. Palais, of
the diocese of Vincennes, the Mother-House of the Sisterhood,
including the Academy and other interests connected with it,
was transferred from Bertrand to its present site, a mile and a

Religious Communities, Continued. 449

quarter from Notre Dame, on a beautiful plateau overlooking
the St. Joseph River, not far frorn the historic spot known as
"the portage." The first buildings at St. Mary's were frame
structures brought from Bertrand and Mishawaka, where the
.Sisters had opened a mission, and it is in connection with this
transfer of the Community's headquarters that the name of
Mother M. Angela, (Eliza Gillespie) begins to stand out prom-
inently in the record of the growth and well-being of the Con-
gregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross. A woman of rare
powers of mind and heart, she was an inspiration to those she
so long served as superior and guided as friend and counsellor.
For thirty-four years, Mother Angela spent herself in the service
of the Congregation, and her influence is felt today in all that
is best in the varied branches of the educational and hospital
work carried on by the Sisters.*

A new era opened with the founding of St. Mary's,and
yet, when one looks back at the work accomplished in Bertrand,
one realizes that in those early years the seeds of the later
achievements were sown and nurtured. The Community in
that formative period was stamped with the characteristics
held to be its distinguishing marks today, — a spirit of progress,
common-sense, zeal, devotedness and self-sacrifice. As early
as 1852, an Association of Children of Mary was formed, and
affiliated by Father Sorin with the Sodalities of Paris and
Rome. In 1854, the Sisters were enrolled as members of the
Association of Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
Thus we see that at the altar of God and the shrine of Our
Lady, help and strength and courage were sought and found.

The Diocese of Fort Wayne was erected as a separate See
in 1857, and in the first incumbent, Bishop Luers, the Congre-
gation had a sympathetic and staunch adviser and friend.
1855 to 1865 were crucial years, but years blessed by God.
TheyVitnessed a remarkable development as regards numbers
and establishments. With the enlarged sphere of activity,
came also burdens of responsibility, and as the organization
became more defined in its work and methods, difficulties
naturally arose, some because of relations with France, others

*This brief sketch does not permit the mention of other names also recorded in the memory
of the Congregation as noble, heroic religious, who at different limes were charged with the adminis-
tration of affairs. For further notice of these, the reader is referred to A Story ot Htty Years,
issued by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, in 1905, in commemoraUon of St. Mary s Golden Jubilee.

450 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

from conditions incident upon extension of interests. Through
all the trials, the spirit of faith sustained the Sisters, and God's
power was recognized in dark hours as in bright.

In 1861, there were one hundred and sixty-five religious
of the Holy Cross owing allegiance to St. Mary's, the Sisters on
the various missions founded from the Mother-House included,
and when war's desolation began to be felt, about one-half of
that number responded to the call of obedience and went to the
care of the sick and wounded. Their services had been solicited
by Governor Morton, at the instance of General Lew Wallace,
and Father Sorin knew the spirit of the Community when he
asked for volunteers. The services of the Sisters were given in
the military hospitals at Washington, Memphis, Paducah,
Louisville, Cairo and Mound City, and on the hospital boats
that bore the suffering soldiers from the scenes of strife to
where they might receive medical attention and the care they
needed. Of the four-score Holy Cross Sister-nurses of the
Civil War, only twenty-two answer the roll-call today. The
others have found eternal peace; and each year, on Memorial
Day, when the students of St. Mary's place a laurel-wreath and
flag on each of the graves, the living learn anew from the dead
the lesson of love of country and love of God.

Meanwhile the work of building up the Congregation went
on at home and on the missions, which were yearly increasing,
thus spreading the Community and multiplying ways and means
of doing good. Through all the varied works of the Sisters,
Father Sorin was director, guide, father and friend; and when
there was threatened misunderstanding of his attitude towards
the Community, on the part of authorities in France and Rome,
he was ready to sacrifice his personal hopes in regard to the
Congregation, which he virtually founded, rather than in any
way militate against its well-being. This interested and dis-
interested zeal for the Sisters characterized Father Sorin's
spirit up to his latest years, and when he died in 1893, his last
whispered prayers mingled with those of his devoted children
of the Cross who were with him when the final summons came.

The severance of relations with France and the recognition
at Rome of the Sisters of the Holy Cross as a distinct Order,
with St. Mary's as the Mother-House, marked 1869 as a year
of renewed courage, and the twenty years that followed were

Religious Communities, Continued. 451

crowned in 1889 with the ApostoHc Approbation of the New
Constitution of the Congregation, which superseded that framed
by France in the early formative years. This temporary appro-
bation of Rome, announced to the Sisters by Bishop Dwenger,
was finally confirmed in 1896 ,when the Congregation took its
place as an approved Order of the Church.

The object of the Congregation is the sanctification of its
members and the salvation of souls. To this end it is devoted
to education, — conducting schools, parochial and academic, —
and to works of charity, — caring for the sick and for orphans.
Though founded in France, the Community is American in
spirit, having no distinction in dress or rank of choir and lay
religious. Its members, one thousand in number, represent
many nationalities, but all are unified under the banner of the
Cross.

St. Mary's is truly the "Mother-House," with all that the
name implies, to the establishments under the care of the
Sisters of the Holy Cross. It is the nursery of the order, the
training school of the teaching body, the home of the Sisters.
To give an idea of the growth of the Community in little more
than half a century, we quote the following extract from the
Jubilee book, published two years ago:

"The most convenient summary of the missions conducted
by the Sisters of the Holy Cross will, perhaps, be according to
location, rather than date of foundation, and those nearest
home are the establishments in the State of Indiana. First of
these, even antedating the present Mother-House, is the home
of the Sisters employed at Notre Dame. At that great centre
of varied activities, the Sisters of the Holy Cross have the care
of the sick, are charged with the domestic work, are engaged
in some of the branches of the publishing department, and
teach in St. Edward's Hall. St. Joseph's Academy, South
Bend, is also one of the old foundations, and seems almost like
a part of the Mother-House; it is the centre from which are
supplied the teachers of the parochial schools attached to St.
Patrick's, St. Mary's and St. Hedwig's congregations. On the
east side of the city are Assumption School, the parish school
of St. Joseph's church, and St. Joseph's Hospital, a splendidly
equipped new building, on a height overlooking the St. Joseph
River and valley. Near Fort Wayne is a mission that is

452 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

endeared by many associations, for it claimed the special and
personal interest of Father Sorin, — the Academy of the Sacred
Heart,— which dates back to 1866. Like St. Mary's, it has the
charm of solitude, and in its beautiful environment traditions
find a favorable atmosphere. St. Rose's, Laporte; Holy Angel's
and St. Vincent's, Logansport; St. Charles', Crawfordsville;
St. Michael's, Plymouth; St. Vincent's, Elkhart; St. John's,
Goshen; St. Mary's, Union City; St. Paul's, Valparaiso; and
St. Mary's, Anderson, are the other schools in the diocese of
Fort Wayne, at present under the direction of the Sisters of
the Holy Cross.

"St. John's Hospital, Anderson, founded through the
munificence of Mr. and Mrs. John Hickey, represents an im-
portant phase of the Congregation's active life, in a constantly
growing field of Christian charity.

"At Morris, Illinois, the Congregation conducts St. Angela's
Academy and the parochial school attached to the Church of
the Immaculate Conception. St. Angela's was founded in 1857,
and has won an enviable name in the world of Catholic educa-
tion. * * * St. Patrick's, Chatsworth; St. Mary's Academy,
Danville; St. Mary's School, Westville; St. John's School,
Peoria; St. Mary's Infirmary, Cairo; and Our Saviour's
Hospital, Jacksonville, are also in the archdiocese of Chicago.
Ohio has one house of the Order, Mt. Carmel Hospital at Col-
umbus, an institution which embodies, as some one well ex-
pressed it, all that science and heart can give to a home for the
sick. Attached to it is a well organized training school for
nurses.

"The Eastern houses are near enough together to give
the community the strength of union in that province, and at
least two of the foundations claim nearly as many years as
does the Mother-House itself. St. Patrick's School, Baltimore,
was opened in 1859, and St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum, Wash-
mgton, D. C, was founded in 1856. The latter institution has
come to be a landmark in the Capital, and its wise adminis-
tration has won for it encomiums from men of prominence
and national fame. St. Cecilia's Academy has seen much of
the changing panorama of Washington life, and viewing it
from the heights she has gone on quietly, unaffected by time's
vicissitudes. The Sisters who teach St. Peter's School make

Religious Communities, Continued. 453

St. Cecelia's their home. Holy Cro*ss Academy is in the west
end of the city, on Massachusetts Avenue, and numbers among
its friends and alumnse many people of prominence in the
District. From Holy Cross are taught St. Matthews' and St.
Paul's Schools. The Reverend Dr. Stafford's new school, St.
Patrick's Academy, is also in charge of the Sisters of the Holy
Cross.

"St. Mary's Academy, Alexandria, goes back to 1869 for
its beginning, but can point to its fme newly-appointed Colonial
mansion should anyone refer to an old-time atmosphere about
the historic Virginia town. In Baltimore, the Sisters direct
St. Patrick's School, St. Patrick's Orphan Asylum, and the
Dolan Aid Asylum, on South Broadway, while in St. Pius'
parish, they conduct the parochial school and St. Catharine's
Normal Institute, founded under the auspices of Archbishop
Bailey.

"The community is represented at Lancaster, Penn-
sylvania, by three schools. Sacred Heart Academy, Sacred
Heart School and St. Anthony's School. Farthest east is St.
Paul's School, connected with the Paulist Church in New York.
The southern province claims two foundations, — both in Texas,
— St. Mary's, Austin, one of the community's most important
houses, and St. Mary's, Marshall. On our way west, we may
mention St. Mary's School, Davenport, Iowa. In Utah are
some of the community's most ambitious foundations,- — St.
Mary's Academy and Holy Cross Hospital, splendidly equipped
institutions and each doing exceptionally fme work in its line.
The Sisters also care for the children at St. Ann's, an orphan
asylum which is a monument to the zeal and charity of Bishop
Scanlan. Ogden has one of the finest buildings in the State
in Sacred Heart Academy, which holds a place second to none
among the schools of the west. St. Patrick's School, Ogden;
St. Mary's, Park City and St. Joseph's, Eureka, complete the
Utah list. In Idaho, the Sisters of the Holy Cross are to be
found at St. Teresa Academy and St. Alphonsus' Hospital,
Boise City, and at St. Joseph's School, Pocatello. In California,
the Sisters at St. Augustine's, Fresno; St. Charles', San Fran-
cisco, and Holy Rosary, Woodland, call St. Mary's "home";
and sunlit and fair as is their western abiding place, in days of

454 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

trial as in days of jubilee, their hearts turn to the 'old home
ground.' "

St. Mary's, besides being the Mother-House of the Sisters
of the Holy Cross, is a most important Catholic educational
institution for young women in the west. It stands for the
highest and best in Catholic education. It is almost a little
town in itself, for its buildings include the chapel, — really a
church in size and dignity of architecture, — a smaller chapel,
a fac-simile of the Holy House of Loretto, and enriched with the
indulgences granted to the Santa Casa, the presbytery, where
the two resident chaplains dwell, the Sisters' Infirmary, the
student's Infirmary, the Novitiate, Convent, Academy, College,
Conservatory of Music and Gymnasium. The equipment of
the school buildings is thoroughly up-to-date, and that the
Academic certificate is recognized by the Universities of
Chicago and Michigan is evidence of the excellence of the St.
Mary's work from a pedagogic point of view. The institution,
both as a school and as a religious centre, is in close relation
with the Bishop of Fort Wayne, who presides over the formal
functions of the Congregation, — Commencement Exercises,
Receptions, Professions and the Election of Superiors.

The excellence of the work of the Community is recognized
and appreciated wherever the Sisters are, but there is a lack of
subjects to meet the demands of the times. This brief sketch
would have included many more missions in the list of establish-
ments of the Order had there been Sisters to take charge of the
work waiting. Ten openings refused for want of helpers to
carry on God's work, — such is the record for the first six months
of 1907! "The harvest indeed is great, but the laborers are
few. Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that He
send forth laborers into His harvest."

The following notes, from the Annals of the Congregation
of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, supply references necessarily
omitted from the foregoing outline-sketch of the Community's
history:

1843, Father Moreau sent from France to Notre Dame the
large bell, now in St. Mary's belfry.

1845, The same Father sent a statue of Our Lady of Consola-
tion now at St. Mary's.

Religious Communities, Continued. 455

1854, The Rush property, the present site of St. Mary's, was
purchased.

1855, April 24th, Father Sorin blessed the corner-stone of the
new St. Mary's. In August, the Convent and Academy
were moved from Bertrand, also the Novitiate from
Notre Dame. St. Mary's was incorporated under the
laws of Indiana.

1859, Loretto Chapel, a fac-simile of the Holy House in Italy,
was built.

1866, On St. Mary's Campus are two cannon which Commodore
Davis presented as souvenirs of the Civil War. These
cannon. Lady Polk and Lady Davis, were captured from
the Confederates at Island No. 10.

1870, The first Council of Administration under the new Con-
stitution was elected; Bishop Luers presided.

1875, The Papal Envoys, Roncetti and Ubaldi visited St.
Mary's.

1876, Council of Administration was elected. Bishop Dwenger
presiding; and again in 1882; and a third time in 1889.

1892, St. Mary's Chimes published for the first time.

1893, Monsignore SatolU visited St. Mary's.

1895, Council of Administration was elected; Bishop Rade-
macher presiding.

1896, Final Approbation of Constitution announced by Bishop
Rademacher.

1897, Sisters sent as nurses in Spanish War.

1899, Archbishop Martinelli, Apostolic Delegate, visited St.
Mary's.

1901, Council of Administration elected; Bishop Alerding pre-
siding. Mother Perpetua, Superior General, Mothers
Aquina, Pauline, Sabina and Bethlehem, assistants.

1902, Archbishop Falconio, Apostolic Delegate, visited St.
Mary's.

1904, His Eminence, Cardinal SatolU, visited St. Mary's.

1905, June 15th, and August 15th, Golden Jubilee celebrations.
Plenary Indulgence obtained for Sisters and pupils on
both days, by Bishop Alerding.

1907, Council of Administration was elected; Bishop Alerding
presiding.

CHAPTER XIX.

RELIGIOUS COA1MUNITIES OF WOMEN,
CONTINUED.

THE POOR HANDMAIDS OF JESUS CHRIST.
1863.

The community of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ
was founded by Miss Catharine Kasper, a native of Dernbach,
Germany. She was born May 26, 1820, of humble parents and
throughout her childhood displayed the virtues which charac-
terized and ennobled her later life. Humility, charity, com-
passion for the poor and love of poverty permeated and filled
her heart with a great desire of consecrating herself to God.
She was animated with the piety of Mary and the activity of
Martha and therefore wished to combine the contemplative and
active life in the service of her Master. She and two other
young ladies took their vows and professed themselves Poor
Handmaids of Jesus Christ, on August 15, 1851. Sister Mary
(Catharine Kasper) was chosen Mother General of the newly
founded community and continued as such until her death,
February 2, 1898.

Though poverty reigned in the humble dwelling, which
formed the home of the first Poor Handmaids, they proceeded
at once to carry out their plans of aiding the poor sick. Mother
Mary's filial confidence in the All-providing Hand of our Father
never wavered, but confidently awaited the development of his
plans. "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto
me according to Thy word," was her motto and so trusting in
God she planted the mustard seed, which sprouted and grew to
be a tree whose branches reach far and wide throughout Ger-
many, Austria, England, Holland and North America.

Mother Mary Kasper at first had no intention of engaging
in the education and training of the young; she thought that
far too high a calling for her community, which she intended

Religious Communities, Continued. 457

should be consecrated simply to the care of the sick and poor
and especially of the orphans. But God had other designs and
intended that the infant community should also share in the
blessed work of Christian education. The 'humble servant of
God recognized this in the various circumstances, which made
it seem expedient to add a teaching body to her young order.
Accordingly a normal school for the education of the Sisters,
who were to become teachers, was established. They soon
entered upon this work and until the breaking out of the
Kultur-kampf conducted, in their native country, parochial
schools, academies, boarding schools, kinder-gartens and
industrial schools. During these troubled times they were
deprived of the parochial schools, but continued in charge
of the other educational institutions and of the hospitals,
sanitariums, infirmaries and private nursing. At present the
community numbers about three thousand Sisters. The rules
for their government were approved by Pope Pius IX in 1870,
and were confirmed by Pope Leo XIII in 1890.

Through the efforts of Bishop Luers and Rev. Edward
Koenig, pastor of St. Paul's Church at Fort Wayne, the com-
munity entered upon their labors in the diocese of Fort Wayne,
on August 3, 1863. The first little band of Sisters, who came
to the New World, were eight in number: Sisters Mary Rosa,
Eudo.xia, Hyacintha, Facunda, Matrona, Henricka, Bella and
Remigia. Sister M. Rosa was the first superioress. She
returned to Germany in 1872. Of the other seven four are
dead, while Sister Hyacintha is still pursuing her holy vocation
in Fort Wayne, Sister Henricka in Centralia and Sister Bella
in Chicago. The place of their first residence in the diocese
was Hesse Cassel, eight miles from Fort Wayne, from which
place three sisters were called to Chicago in 1869 by the Very
Rev. Peter Fischer, V. G., to take charge of the German orphan
asylum. That asylum began with twelve children, but now
shelters more than six hundred orphans.

The community established itself in Fort Wayne on May
9, 1869, in the building known as the Rockhill Place. The
present convent and chapel were erected in 1883 at a cost of
132,000. This convent is the provincial Mother-House for all
the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ in America. Since its
estabHshment the convent has now its third chaplain, the Rev.

458 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Thomas Eisenring, C. PP. S. The other two were Rev. Theo-
dore Hibbelen till February 2, 1886 and Rev. Julius Becks till
December 3, 1889. The first young lady, who entered the
community of the Poor Handmaids in America, was Miss
Catharine Baker (Sister M. Joseph) on February 2, 1871.

The first parochial school, conducted by the Poor Hand-
maids in this country, was that of St. Paul's Parish at Fort
Wayne, of which they took charge on October 5, 1896. They
also had charge of the school at Avilla, where they were engaged
likewise in the nursing of the sick and of the school at Hesse
Cassel, from which schools however they were withdrawn in 1877.
Since October 25, 1878 they have conducted the parochial
school of St. Joseph's Parish at Mishawaka, where they are
engaged also in private nursing. The St. Vincent's Orphan
Asylum at Fort Wayne has been entrusted to their care since
September 19, 1887. They have been engaged in the work of
teaching and private nursing in Areola since December 19,
1895. A convent of theirs was established at South Bend on
September 8, 1899, where they act as private nurses, caring for
the sick in their homes. St. Roch's Sanitarium for consump-
tives was opened December 3, 1899. Their Holy Family
Hospital at Laporte has existed since March 1, 1900.

The labors of the Poor Handmaids in the diocese of Belle-
ville are extensive. They are engaged in teaching and private
nursing in that diocese at Carlyle, Germantown, Trenton, St.
Libory, Mascoutah, Fayetteville, Millstadt, Centralia, Wendelin,
Columbia, Hecker, Beckemeyer. In the diocese of Belleville
they also conduct St. Mary's Hospital in East St. Louis, St.
Vincent's Hospital in Belleville, St. Joseph's Hospital in Breese,
and the Sacred Heart Hospital in Aviston. St. John's Orphan
Asylum at Belleville is also entrusted to their care.

in the diocese of Alton the Poor Handmaids have charge
of St. John's school and St. Vincent's Home, both in Quincy,
and of St. Boniface's School in Edwardsville. In the diocese
of Superior they conduct St. Joseph's Hospital at Ashland,
St. Francis' Hospital at Superior City and St. Mary's Hospital
at West Superior. In the Archdiocese of St. Paul they have
charge of the St. Alexander Hospital at New Ulm. In the
Archdiocese of Chicago they conduct the St. Ann's Sanitarium
and the St. Elizabeth's Hospital and Isolation Hospital. From

Religions Communities, Continued. 459

their convents at 52 Newberry aveTiue and 212 Hudson avenue
they go as private nurses to care for the sick in their homes.
In connection with the latter convent is a Kinder-garten in
charge of the Sisters. In the same Archdiocese of Chicago
they teach St. Augustine's and St. Henry's schools and have
charge of the Guardian Angel Orphanage in the city of Chicago
and of the Sacred Heart school at Melrose Park.

The provincial heads of the community in America were
successively: Mother M. Rosa till 1872 when she returned to
Germany and was succeeded by Mother M. Prudentia who
gave place to Mother M. Secunda in 1885 and was in turn
succeeded by Mother M. Hyacintha till 1904, when Mother M.
Secunda, the present provincial superioress, was again placed
at the head of the community. The Poor Handmaids in
America number four hundred and nine professed sisters,
forty-five novices and thirty postulants.

CHAPTER XX.

RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES OF WOMEN,
CONTINUED.

THE SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS OF PERPETUAL ADORATION.

• 1875.

The community of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Per-
petual Adoration was founded with the approval of the Right
Rev. Conrad Martin, Bishop of Paderborn, Westphalia, Prussia,
on December 20, 1860, in the town of Olpe, by Mary Teresa
Bonzel. Its constitutions were approved by the Holy See on
April 13, 1897. Its objects are: The sanctification of its
members, perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament,
nursing of the sick and the education especially of poor and
neglected children. In Germany the congregation numbers
about one thousand Sisters in eighty establishments.

Towards the end of the year of 1875, at the invitation of
Bishop Dwenger, six Sisters of this community came to the
United States. They arrived on December 12th and two days
later reached their destination, Lafayette, Indiana. Unknown
and without means they entered upon their work of charity.
A small house was placed at their disposal, which they occupied
until October, 1876. A benefactor, Albert Wagner, donated
two lots to them, and on these the first buildings of the present
St. Elizabeth's Hospital were erected. The corner-stone was
laid on Trinity Sunday, June 11, 1876 and the dedication took
place on November 19th, following. In 1879 the east wing,
and in 1883 the west wing and the chapel were built. With
the growth and prosperity of Lafayette grew also the demands
on the Sisters' charity, so that in the course of time the erection
of a new hospital became necessary. It was built in 1896, and
the formal opening took place on January 6, 1897, after a
pontifical high mass celebrated by Bishop Rademacher.
This hospital, at that time, was deemed of sufficient size to
meet all requirements of the Sisterhood for many years, but

Religious Communities, Continued. 461

the institution grew so rapidly, that the building proved in-
adequate to meet the demands of charity, and in 1904 a large
addition was decided upon, one wing to serve as the St. Francis'
Convent for the Sisters, and another to contain a spacious
chapel and to complete the original plan of St. Elizabeth's
Hospital.

The last addition is a substantial three-story structure of
brick and stone, with basement and attic. The basement
contains kitchen, dining rooms, and rooms for domestic pur-
poses. On the first floor are the offices, parlors, private rooms
and dispensary. On the second and third floors are dormitories
and private rooms; also, community rooms. The attic con-
tains dormitories and storage rooms. All the floors are reached
by elevator. Pressed brick, sand-stone and terra-cotta trim-
mings are notable features of the building's exterior.

The new chapel is of Gothic design, 128x50 feet. Pillars
divide it into three aisles, the middle one 46 feet 6 inches, the
side aisles 29 feet high. From the capitols of the pillars rise
the groined arches of the ceiling, which, like the walls, is dec-
orated in chaste colors, showing various religious emblems and
designs. The sanctuary is notable for the harmonious blending
of the colors of the decorations with the artistic memorial
windows encircling the main altar. Of these windows there
are seven in the sanctuary, and two in one and four in the
other transept; two are in front of the chapel and eight in the
side walls. The main features, however, are the three altars
and the communion rail, all exquisitely carved in pure white
marble. The sanctuary, the aisles and the sacristy floors are
inlaid with mosaic tiling of artistic design. The dedication of
the new chapel and the consecration of the three marble altars
was solemnly performed by Bishop Alerding, assisted by a
great number of priests, on December 31, 1905.

The first superioress of the six sisters who came to Lafay-
ette in 1875 was Sister Clara. After her death in 1878, Sister
Deo Gratias was appointed to the office. In 1884 she was
recalled to Germany and Sister Hyacintha became her suc-
cessor. In 1886 she also returned to Europe, and was suc-
ceeded by Sister Alphonsa, who was, at the same time, appointed
Superioress Provincial of all the establishments of the com-
munity in the United States. Sister Alphonsa remained at

462 The Diocese of Fort IVayne. I

the head of the community until May 18, 1900, when she was
called to her eternal reward. The best tribute that can be
paid to her memory is that given by the splendid development
and achievements of the Order under her leadership. The
office made vacant by her death was filled on June 21st by the
appointment, as Superioress Provincial, of Sister Josepha who
is still at the head of the community.

Only a small part of the magnificent work done by the
Sisters of St. Francis of the Lafayette community is manifested
in their local establishment. Besides those in the diocese of
Fort Wayne, the Sisterhood established and conducts branch
houses in the dioceses of Omaha, Denver, Kansas, Indianapolis,
Cleveland, Nashville, Lincoln, St. Joseph, St. Louis, Chicago
and Louisville. They have the following hospitals in Indiana:
St. Elizabeth's at Lafayette, St. Margaret's at Hammond,
St. Joseph's at Logansport, St. Edward's at New Albany, St.
Anthony's at Terre Haute and St. .Anthony's at Michigan City.
In Illinois: St. Francis' at Evanston. In Ohio: St. Alexius'
and St. John's at Cleveland. In Tennessee: St. Joseph's at
Memphis. In Kentucky: St. Anthony's at Louisville. In
Colorado: St. Anthony's at Denver, St. Francis' at Longmont,
and St. Francis' at Colorado Springs. In Nebraska: St.
Joseph's at Omaha, St. Mary's at Columbus, St. Francis' at
Grand Island, St. Elizabeth's at Lincoln. In Kansas: St.
Mary's at Emporia.

The Sisters of St. Francis have charge of the following
schools. In Indiana: In St. Boniface's and St. Lawrence's
at Lafayette, in Sacred Heart at Fowler, in St. Joseph's at
Kentland, in St. Mary's at Dunnington, in Sacred Heart at
Remington, in St. John's at St. John, in St. Martin's at Hanover,
Centre, in St. Casimir's at North Hammond, and in St. Bridget's
at Logansport. In Tennessee: In St. Mary's at Memphis.
In Kansas: In Sacred Heart at Emporia, and in St. Joseph's
at Olpe. In Missouri: In Immaculate Conception at Union,
in St. Mary's at Wien, in St. George's at Hermann, in St. Ann's
at Clover Bottom. In Nebraska: In Immaculate Conception
at Omaha, in St. Francis' at South Omaha, in St. Francis' at
Columbus, in St. Francis' at Lincoln, in St. Bernard's at St.
Bernard, in St. Mary's at St. Mary, in St. Anthony's at St.
Anthony, in St. Francis' at Humphrey, in St. Joseph's at Platte

Religious Communities, Continued. 463

Centre, in St. Stanislaus' at Duncan, in St. Michael's at Tarnov,
in St. Boniface's at Monterey, and in SS. Peter and Paul's at
Krakow. In New Mexico: In Our Lady of Guadalupe's at
Pena Blanca and in Our Lady of Gaudalupe's at James. They
conduct a high school in St. Mary's Parish at Memphis, Ten-
nessee, and an Academy in St. Francis' Parish at Columbus,
Nebraska.

In 1893 the Sisters accepted the charge and management
of the St. Joseph's Diocesan Orphan Asylum at Lafayette.
The number of Sisters there is twelve. In 1897 the Sisters of
St. Francis opened the St. Anthony's Home for the Aged in
Lafayette.

The total number of the members of the Lafayette com-
munity of the Sisters of St. Francis in the United States is:
five hundred and thirty-five professed Sisters, ninety novices,
nineteen postulants. The general mother-house of the Sisters
of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration is at Olpe, Westphalia,
Germany. The Provincial Mother-house and Novitiate for
America is St. Francis Convent at Lafayette, Indiana.

CHAPTER XXI. •

RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES OF WOMEN,
CONTINUED.

THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH.

1888.

The celebrated missionary, Rev. John Medaille, S. J., of
Le Puy, was the founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of
St. Joseph, in the year 1650. The purposes for which it was
established were: First, that the members of it labor earnestly
for their own sanctification, aspiring to the most sublime
degree of Christian perfection; second, that they assist their
neighbor, as far as possible, by every work of mercy, both
spiritual and corporal.

The Sisters came to America in 1836, under the auspices
of Bishop Rosati, locating at St. Louis, Since that year they
have been introduced into many of the dioceses of the United
States. In the year 1888 three Sisters of St. Joseph moved by
the apostolic spirit, left their convent at Watertown, New
York. They journeyed to Cape Vincent, and at this point
crossed the St. Lawrence river to Kingston, Canada. It was a
hazardous trip, for the spring thaw had begun and the ice was
beginning to break. It was not without difficulty that a stage
driver was secured to take them across the river. Before
mounting the box the driver informed his patrons, that he
must drive rapidly, to lessen the risk of breaking through. As
they sped along the ice rose and fell, under the flying hoofs of
the horses, and it was with a sense of relief and many a fervent
thanksgiving to God, that the now thoroughly frightened
Sisters left the vehicle. From Kingston they continued their
journey by rail. Passing through Canada they encountered
severe snow-storms, and they were almost frozen waiting to
make connections at three different points. Many other
obstacles hindered their progress. But, divine Providence over
them, they reached their destination, Tipton, on the afternoon
of March 15th, after three days of travel.

Tipton, at that time, was a small county seat depending
almost entirely upon the farmers for its life and traffic. There

Religious Communities, Continued. 465

were few Catholic families in the vicinity and the church was
a small brick building, of which Rev. F. G. Lentz was the
resident pastor. This priest with the approval of Bishop
Dwenger, had induced the Sisters to come, and he now met
them at the station with every demonstration of joy. All the
members of the parish, old and young, vied with each other to
bid the Sisters welcome and to supply their needs. For two
weeks the Sisters partook of the hospitality of a kind lady,
until their little cottage, on North Oak street, was ready to
receive them. Only one room of this cottage was plastered;
being used as a parlor during the day, then when calling hours
were over, beds were brought in and removed in the morning,
that breakfast might be served. These were times of trials,
but the Sisters never lost courage. Total strangers to the
people they soon became acquainted, and visions of the good
that was to be accompHshed in this new and wild country rose
up to cheer them.

The parochial school composed of a few children, but
recently organized, had been taught by a secular teacher.
Two rooms were now formed and the classes established by
September of the year of their arrival. The first years of the
Sisters' Hfe in Tipton were filled with labor and anxiety. Their
numbers were few, and they were unable to cope with the work
which they found awaiting them. Sometimes it required more
than ordinary religious fervor and courage to sustain the thought,
that anything was being accomplished; unless it be the com-
plete self-abnegation of the Sisters teaching school, making
linens for the altar, training the choir, visiting the sick and the
dying, and at eventide repairing to their little home, and with
voices that never faltered, giving thanks to God for the rough,
yet blessed path, they had chosen as their own. At one time
the star of the little community it seemed was about to set,
when Reverend Mother Gertrude was stricken with fever; but
after weeks of anguish and suspense, of watching and praying,
she was restored to her former health. Then too, five mounds
in the Catholic cemetery marked the place, where rest the
mortal remains of five devoted souls.

Providence, ever kind and propitious, inspired the wealthy
father of Mother Gertrude to provide the means necessary for
the erection of a suitable convent for the Sisters. This structure

466 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

was erected in 1891, when the Httle cottage on Oak street was
abandoned, and the Sisters moved into their new and com-
modious St. Joseph's Convent. The first graduation class of
the high school received their diplomas in 1892; and this was
repeated each year until at the present time, the Sisters point
with pride to the numerous membership of the St. Joseph's
Alumnae Association.

In 1893 , Bishop Rademacher appointed Rev. Anthony J.
Kroeger the Spiritual Director of the Sisters. It was at his
suggestion that the valuable two hundred acre farm, located
about one mile from Tipton, was purchased. The treasury of
the community being empty, Father Kroeger himself furnished
the required purchase money. On account of the rapid growth
of the institution, the demand for more room and better ac-
commodations became urgent. A splendid structure was
erected, in 1903, to supply the demand. The new building
stands on the two hundred acre farm, over-looking a scene
of rural beauty and peace. The pure country air and the
delights of the rustic scenery contribute to make it an ideal
home for the student. Here are seen beautiful drive-ways,
cement walks, artistic flower-beds, numerous shade trees, and
a large campus on which the young ladies indulge in out-door
games, and especially the fine, new gymnasium. The building,
which is the Mother-house of the Sisters of St. Joseph and St.
Joseph's Academy for young ladies, has a frontage of over 150
feet and a depth of 53 feet, and including the basement is five
stories high. The basement, constructed of granite bowlders
skillfully cut and laid, is occupied by steam boilers, the kitchen,
the laundry department, two refectories and store rooms.
On the first floor are the parlors, the chaplain's apartments,
the chapel, reception rooms and the private offices of the
Mother Superior and the Secretary. The class rooms, music
rooms, library, commercial hall, a large assembly room, and
sewing rooms occupy the second floor. The rest of the building
is devoted to private rooms and sleeping apartments. The
building can accommodate about one hundred students.

St. Joseph's Academy, the parish schools at Tipton,
Delphi, Elwood, Kokomo and St. Bridget's in Logansport are
conducted by the Sisters of St. Joseph, and are all in a flourishing
condition.

CHAPTER XXII,

RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES OF WOMEN,
CONTINUED.

THE SISTERS OF PROVIDENCE. 2. THE SISTERS OF THE
MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD. 3. THE SCHOOL SISTERS OF NOTRE
DAME. 4. THE SISTERS OF ST. AGNES. 5. THE FRAN-
CISCAN SISTERS OF THE SACRED HEART. 6. THE FELICIAN
SISTERS, O. S. F. 7. THE SISTERS OF THE HOLY FAMILY
OF NAZARETH. 8. THE SISTERS OF ST. DOMINIC. 9. THE
SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS.

1. THE SISTERS OF PROVIDENCE.

1845.

It was in Maine, a province of France, that the community
of the Sisters of Providence sprang into existence in 1806.
Maine was the first to repair the fearful ravishes of the reign of
terror. First and foremost in this work was the saintly Abbe
Dujarie, pastor of the church of Ruille-sur-Loir, diocese of Le
Mans. His noble work materialized in the formation of a
religious community, the Sisters of Providence. His com-
munity combined the active with the contemplative life. The
end proposed was to honor divine Providence by the education
of youth and works of charity.

The new community grew so rapidly and spread so widely
that its reputation crossed the Atlantic; and in 1845, when a
call from the wilds of Indiana reached Ruille, six valiant
heroines, Mother Theodore the leader, responded. Mother
Theodore possessed extraordinary mental endowments with a
remarkable talent for government and a charming personality.
Her marvelous success in the supervision of first class insti-
tutions during her nineteen years experience in the community
had attracted the attention of the Royal Academy, and a
Prefecture of the "Forty Immortals," after a profound test of

468 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

her abilities, bestowed upon her medalHon decorations of royal
distinction. Thus was the saintly foundress eminently fitted
for her apostolate of education in the New World. In the
short space of fifteen years her work was accomplished — she
had solidly established the communtiy. Her work has been
ably continued by her successors. It has spread from the
home diocese of Indianapolis to the dioceses of Fort Wayne,
Grand Rapids, Omaha, Peoria, and to the archdioceses of
Baltimore, Boston and Chicago. The community now num-
bers nearly a thousand, with a charge of twenty thousand
children. St. Mary's Academic Institute, at St. Mary-of-the-
Wood, is one of the foremost educational centers in the country.

The Sisters of Providence were the first religious teachers
in Fort Wayne. At the invitation of Father Benoit three
Sisters from the infant colony opened St. Augustine's school in
September, 1845. God blessed the work; it increased and pros-
pered. New buildings and additions were erected at various
times, but the Academy stands on the very site of the pioneer
school. The Golden Jubilee, celebrated in 1895, was par-
ticipated in by the leading ladies of the city, who claim St.
Augustine's Academy as their Alma Mater. Another insti-
tution in Fort Wayne is St. Catharine's Academy, though of
more recent date.

Besides these two Academies the Sisters are conducting
several academies and parochial schools in the diocese: namely,
in St. Mary's parish in East Chicago; in All Saints', St. Joseph's
and St. John's parishes at Hammond; in Hartford City; in
St. Mary's parish at Huntington; in St. Mary's and St. Ann's
parishes at Lafayette; at Peru and at Whiting.

2. THE SISTERS OF THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD.

1853.

The community of the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood,
whose Mother-house is located at Maria Stein, Mercer county,
Ohio, was established in 1834 at Loewenberg, Switzerland.
The Very Rev. Francis de Sales Brunner assisted by his saintly
mother, the Ven. M. Anna Brunner, was the founder. The
little community was prosperous; its chief object was the

Religious Communities, Continued. 469

veneration of the Most Precious Blood. In 1844 it had grown
to such proportions that it could extend its activity to the
New World. Father Brunner remained the spiritual director
of the community till his death in 1859. It was he who, in
1853, bought two hundred and forty acres of land in Jay county,
Indiana. A small log house was erected, which served as the
first convent in the diocese of Fort Wayne. For several years
the Sisters had to contend with extreme poverty and untold
hardships. The blessing of God, however, rested upon their
humble work, and, some years later, a more spacious building
was erected, large enough to accommodate from forty to forty-
five Sisters. Two Sisters teach the parochial school, located
about one-fourth of a mile from the convent.

Prayer and manual labor form the occupation of the com-
munity. By day and by night the Precious Blood of Jesus is
offered to the Heavenly Father not only for the needs of the
community itself, but also in behalf of Holy Church in general
and the world at large. The zealous Sisters, engaged also in
the work of Catholic education, established a parochial school
at Winamac in 1873, at Garrett in 1888, in St. Joseph's Church
at Laporte in 1896, in the Precious Blood parish at Fort Wayne
in 1898, and at Rensselaer in 1903. They have the care also
of the culinary department in St. Joseph's College and the
so-called Indian School near Rensselaer. In 1901 the Kneipp
Sanitarium near Rome City came into their possession.

3. THE SCHOOL SISTERS OF NOTRE DAME.

1865.

On July 31, 1847, a missionary band of four Sisters,
accompanied by their venerable foundress, landed in New
York; these four Sisters, known in later years as Mothers
Caroline, Seraphina, Magdalena and Mary, were the pioneers
of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in America. St. Peter
Fourier of Lorraine, founder of the Congregation of these
Sisters in 1597, is venerated as their special patron. The
Order instituted by him was introduced into Bavaria, but
during the troublous times of Napolean I, it was suppressed in
that country. However, religious education was not to cease,

470 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

for God raised up two holy men, Bishop Wittmann of Ratisbon
and Father Sebastian Job of Vienna, whose life's aim was to
found a teaching Sisterhood for the poorer classes. This they
succeeded in doing, modifying the Rules of St. Peter Fourier,
as the times and circumstances demanded. Mother Teresa
(Gerhardinger), born in 1797, for years a secular teacher under
the guidance of the pious Bishop, became the first superioress
of the new Congregation in 1833, at Neunburg, near Ratisbon.
In 1841 the Mother-house was removed to Munich, and here
the Mother-general of the School Sisters resided.

At the invitation of Bishop O'Connor of Pittsburg, Penn-
sylvania, the Sisters came to America, and their first mission,
which they were obliged to abandon later, was at St. Mary's,
Elk county, Pennsylvania, a small settlement in the wilderness.
Mother Teresa remained one year in America, and when she
returned to Munich the Sisters were teaching at St. Mary's in
Pennsylvania and in three of the Baltimore schools. In the
latter city Mother Teresa estabHshed the first American Mother-
house. In 1850 Mother Caroline was appointed Mother- vicar
of the American houses, and was directed to open a Mother-
house in Milwaukee. In 1880 she was elected Commissary-
general for America; and this office she held till her death in
1892. The Eastern houses were formed into a separate pro-
vince in 1876 ,with the Mother-house in Baltimore. A southern
province, with its Mother-house at Santa Maria in Ripa, South
St. Louis, was formed in 1897.

Mother Caroline's labors during the first forty-five years
of the Congregation's existence in America merited for her the
veneration due to a foundress. She enjoyed the esteem of the
Bishops of Fort Wayne; and St. Mary's mission, at Fort Wayne
was the first established in Indiana, on September 2, 1865.
The first community consisted of three Sisters and a candidate;
and they were welcomed warmly by parents and children.
At that time the attendance at school was two hundred girls;
the boys being taught by lay-men in the school building on
the opposite side of the street. In 1880 the Sisters assumed
charge of the lower and middle classes of the boys' school; and
ten years later they took the higher class of boys also. The
enrollment was at that time about four hundred and fifty,
four Sisters teaching the boys and four the girls, with two grades

Religious Communities, Continued. 471

in each room. At the present time the school has an attendance
of about five hundred and fifty pupils. The Sisters in com-
munity number fourteen, and eleven of these are engaged in
teaching.

The School Sisters took charge of the following schools in
the diocese of Fort Wayne: Fort Wayne, St. Mary's, in 1865;
Huntington, SS. Peter and Paul's, in 1868; Logansport, St.
Joseph's, in 1877; Fort Wayne, St. Peter's, in 1881 ; Chesterton,
in 1894; Michigan City, St. Mary's, and St. Stanislaus', and
Alexandria, in 1897; and Lottaville, in 1905.

4. THE SISTERS OF ST. AGNES.

1872.

The community of the Sisters of St. Agnes had its begin-
ning in 1858, when Rev. Caspar Rehol organized a society of
young women in Barton, Washington county, Wisconsin; its
permanent establishment, however, dates from August 1, 1870
in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, when the Right Rev. J. M. Henni,
at the time Bishop of Milwaukee, approved the community.
On July 24th of the same year Mother Mary Agnes (Hazatte)
was selected Superior General, a position she held till her
death, March 6, 1905. Their convent was erected in 1877 and
in 1887 a chapel was added, in the Gothic style of architecture,
which is said to be one of the finest in the State. The principal
object of the community of St. Agnes is the Christian education
of the youth; to which may be added the care of the sick, the
aged and the orphan. At the present time the Sisters of St.
Agnes are laboring in ten different dioceses of the United States.

Their work in the diocese of Fort Wayne dates from 1872,
when Rev. N. W. Giedl, with the consent of Bishop Dwenger,
gave them charge of the parochial school at New Haven. Other
schools in the diocese, of which the Sisters have charge, are the
following: The parochial school at Columbia City, since 1880;
at Decatur, since 1881; at Sheldon, since 1882; at Crown Point,
since 1882; in Muncie, since 1887; at Monterey, since 1894 and
in Besancon, since 1900.

472 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

5. THE FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF THE SACRED HEART.

1876.

The community of the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred
Heart has its Mother-house and Novitiate at Joliet, Illinois.
Owing to political disturbances in Germany the Order was
dispersed in 1876 and emigrated to America. They established
themselves at Avilla, Indiana, but with the consent and
approval of both Archbishop Feehan and Bishop Dwenger
they transferred the Mother-house to Joliet, Illinois, in 1883.
A number of the Sisters, however, remained at Avilla and estab-
lished there a Home for the Aged Poor, known as the Old
People's Home. The Rev. D. Duehmig, pastor at Avilla, was
their special benefactor. The resident chaplains of the Home
have been: Rev. Joseph Flach, from 1876 till 1878; Rev.
Theodore Borg, from 1878 till 1887; Rev. John Hoss, from
1887 till 1889; Rev. Sebastian Ganther C. PP. S., from 1889
till 1896; and Rev. Bernardine Abbink O. S. F. since 1896.

The Sisters also engage in the work of education and have
had charge of the public school in Avilla, from 1877 till 1881,
when it became a parochial school. Besides this school the
Sisters have also cared for St. Joseph's school at Hesse Cassel,
since 1877; of the St. Joseph's school at Dyer, since 1878, being
a public school until 1901; of St. Ann's school at Ege, since
1879; and of the parochial school at Schererville, since 1886
which also was a public school until 1900.

The community at the present time numbers 268 professed
Sisters, tw^enty-nine novices and fifty postulants. It has
charge of nine schools, two orphan asylums and one home for
the aged poor.

6. THE FELICIAN SISTERS, O. S. F.

1880.

The community of the Felician Sisters was founded in
Warsaw, Russian Poland, on November 21, 1855 by Mother
.M. Angela (Miss Sophia Truszkowska) under the direction of
Rev. Honorat Capuchin. In 1864 the Russian government
disbanded religious orders and in consequence this community

Religious Communities, Continued 473

dispersed. After a short time, however, but not without great
difficulties the Sisters reorganized in Austria. .A.t the invita-
tion of Rev. Joseph Dombrowski five FeHcian Sisters emigrated
from Cracow, Austria, and arrived in this country on Novem-
ber 21, 1874. They took charge of the PoHsh parochial school
at Polonia, Portage county, Wisconsin, where the first convent
of the community in the United States was erected. The
American province of this order, dependent on the Mother-
house in Cracow with a provincial house and novitiate in
Detroit, Michigan, was established in 1882. Since 1900 an-
other .Mother-house and novitiate for the East was opened at
Doyle, Erie county, New York.

The Felician Sisters at the request of Rev. J. Machdzicki,
pastor of St. Mary's Church at Otis took charge of the parochial
school of that place in the year 1880, of which they have charge
at the present time.

This community has a membership of about 800 Sisters
in the United States ; in charge of seventy-four parochial schools,
four orphanages, two asylums for the aged poor and one hospital.

7. THE SISTERS OF THE HOLY FAMILY OF NAZARETH.

1902.

The community of the Sisters of the Holy Family of
Nazareth was founded, under the auspices of Pope Pius IX,
in Rome, in the year 1874, by a noble Polish lady, who died
in the odor of sanctitv on November 21, 1902. The good
works in which the Sisters are engaged are Christian education,
the care of the sick, and also the care and education of orphans.
The .Most Rev. Patrick A. Feehan, Archbishop of Chicago,
introduced the Order into the United States, in the year 1885.
These Sisters have their Mother-house in Rome, of which
Mother .Mary Lauretta is Superior General, at the present time.
The Provincial-house in the United States is located at Chicago,
where Mother Mary Sophia is Superior Provincial. They have
charge of the parochial shool of St. Casimir's and St. Stanis-
laus' Churches, at South Bend. They conduct institutions
also in the Archdiocese of Chicago and Philadelphia, and the
dioceses of Brooklyn, Columbus, Pittsburg and Scranton. The

474 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

community has 500 Sisters, conducting twenty-seven parochial
schools, one academy, one hospital, and one orphanage.

8. THE SISTERS OF ST. DOMINIC.

The Mother-house of the Sisters of St. Dominic is located
at Adrian, Michigan. These Sisters have charge of the paro-
chial schools at Earl Park, and of St. Bavo's, at Mishawaka.

9. THE SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS.

1906.

The Mother-house of the community of the Sisters of St.
Francis is located at Maryville, Missouri, in connection with
St. Francis' Hospital. It was founded with the approbation
of Right Rev. Maurice F. Burke, Bishop of St. Joseph, Missouri,
in the year 1894. The beginning of the institution dates from
September 8th, of that year, when the Sisters took up their
residence in a dwelling house, which had been remodeled into
a twelve-room temporary hospital. These quarters were
found inadequate and a building 68x50 feet, containing forty-
two rooms was completed on November 26, 1895; but an
addition of 46x92 feet was found necessary. Still another
addition was made in 1903; so that now St. Francis' Hospital,
located on a block between Davis and Saunders streets, fronting
on Front street, is a large three-story and basement brick
structure, 160x92 feet. The building has eighty rooms, a
beautiful chapel and a large dormitory for the Sisters. Mother
M. Augustine is Superior with forty Sisters under her charge.
Among other hospitals they have charge of the Wabash rail-
way hospital at Peru, known as St. Ann's Hospital.

CHAPTER XXIII,

INSTITUTIONS OF CHARITY.

DIOCESAN ORPHAN ASYLUMS.

The Civil War, which spent itself at the cost of much life
and wealth, left after it the orphan. Many of these were
CathoHc and, although the State made pubUc provision for
their support, it was plain that something must be done to
save these children to the Faith. It was Bishop Luers, who
initiated this great work of charity in the spring of 1865, when
he purchased a tract of land in the suburbs of Fort Wayne, as
the site for an orphan asylum. First his Vicar-General, the
Very Rev. Julian Benoit, and later on the Rev. E. P. Walters,
were commissioned by the Bishop to solicit money, for the
erection of the necessary buildings. When, in the fall of 1865,
Pope Pius IX proclaimed a solemn Jubilee, for the gaining of
the indulgence of which an alms was required for some work
of charity. Bishop Luers designated the orphan asylum as this
special charity. He also addressed several pastoral letters to
his diocesans, in one of which he says: "In our day, many
sympathize as little with poor Jesus as did the Jews of old,
who only longed for a rich Messiah. They seek Him to this
day without finding him, as Christ Himself told them. The
promises of God in regard to the poor are disregarded, because
the painful vices of avarice and pride have taken possession
of their hearts. The spirit of religion and the love of neighbor
impelled our forefathers, to erect magnificent churches, schools,
orphan asylum.s, hospitals, universities, and other like institu-
tions, to give learned men and saints to the land. Within
these institutions men were trained for the object of their exist-
ence, and while the Te Deum resounds within those time
honored walls, it is reechoed by the saints above, who erected
those buildings."

Much as the Bishop desired to commence the erection of
the asylum, in 1866, unavoidable delays occurred in carrying
out his plans. The following extract from an admirable

476 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

address on this subject, sent out immediately after the spiritual
retreat of the clergy held at Notre Dame in 1867, will explain
the situation: "Dearly Beloved in Christ:— The number of
orphans has lately increased to such an extent, that the erection
of an asylum for them has become an imperative necessity.
It is a holy duty, incumbent upon us all, to take care of the
spiritual and bodily wants of those, who have no longer father
and mother to do it for them, and who like strangers now
wander over God's wide earth, imploring our pity, mercy, and
love. A year ago 1 purchased twenty-five acres of land,
adjoining the city, for the purpose of building such an asylum
upon it; but as yet it has not been commenced. On this all
important matter I consulted with the clergy, lately assembled
in spiritual retreat at Notre Dame, and as building materials
and labor are yet very high, the building to be erected would
cost from |30,000 to $35,000, which amount would have to
be on hand immediately. To obtain this seems to be a matter
of impossibility. It was therefore unanimously agreed, to
accept the favorable offer of the Spilter Farm at Rensselaer,
for 118,000. This place contains 933 acres; 650 of which are
under fence, 200 under cultivation, 200 wood, the balance
prairie. There are on it two dwelling houses, one of which
contains twelve rooms, affording accommodation for forty or
fifty orphans. Experience teaches that not a few of those,
who have been raised in the asylums of our large cities, for
want of suitable employment and from other unavoidable
causes, have not realized the expectations, considering the
extraordinary care and attention bestowed upon them. Here,
upon the farm selected, the children can have employment
suitable to their age and strength, and growing up with indus-
trious habits, they can become men, who will be an honor to
the institution, and a source of consolation to their benefactors."
Having purchased the Spilter Farm, Bishop Luers ap-
pointed the Revs. E. P. Walters, George Steiner, J. Mayer,
P. P. Cooney C. S. C., to collect throughout the diocese, and
to prepare the buildings on the farm for the orphans. The
Rev. Joseph Stephan was given charge of the institution. In
September of 1868, thirty-five orphans found shelter here
under the care of the Sisters of the Holy Cross. A circular
addressed to the Clergy and Laity of the diocese, and dated

Institutions of Charity, Continued. 477

at Fort Wayne December 10, 1869, is characteristic of Bishop
Luers, and reads as follows:

"We shall soon celebrate the Festival, which commemo-
rates the Birth of the Redeemer of the world, and presents to
our view the Divine Babe, lying in the manger of Bethlehem.
The recurrence of this Festival is an occasion of great joy,
especially to those families, whose members habitually fulfill
their religious duties; and if in some there is negligence in the
service of God during the year, Christmas is a time of recon-
ciliation; all may, therefore, participate in the joy of this
Festival. In these days of rejoicing, when you give thanks
to God for the birth of your Saviour, and for all the spiritual
gifts that flow therefrom, as well as the comforts of life which
you have received from His bountiful hand, remember the
poor in the orphans, who appeal to you to help them in their
need, to clothe them and give them shelter from the frost and
rain, and to prevent them from perishing with hunger.

"As God has given you the fruits of this world, lay up
for yourselves a treasure in heaven, by giving of your abundance
to those who are in want. Do not begrudge a couple of dollars
to the orphans. Be more manly, more human and more
generous, than to make a wry face over a small portion of
your abundance, given to the poor. God loves a cheerful
giver. Do not, then, part with a few dollars, as if so many
sound teeth were being pulled out of your head. Open wide
your purse, give with a generous heart; avoid the stigma of
stinginess, that mark of little souls and sordid hearts. Have
a laudable respect for yourselves, as men occupying respectable
positions in society, as Christians professing to be followers of
our Lord, who loved the poor, and do not give merely twenty-
five cents, when you could give four times that amount; do
not place ten cents upon the collection plate, when you could
give at least half that number of dollars. That you all may
have an opportunity of fulfilling your duty of giving alms, we
hereby direct that on Christmas-day the usual collection be
made, in all the churches and stations, for the benefit of the
Orphan Asylum, in which you should all take the greatest
interest. Invoking upon you the abundant graces, which the
Infant Jesus desires to bestow upon you all, and most par-
ticularly wishing that your hearts may be touched by com-

478 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

passion for God's suffering poor, we commend you all to the
Sacred Heart of Jesus, and to the Patronage of Our Lady of
the Sacred Heart."

Bishop Luers seemed quite at home, with his children at
the orphan asylum. He used to assign work to them, and took
part in their devotions and in their sports. He looked after
the interests of the asylum, wherever opportunity offered,
and after his death it was discovered, that he had had his life
insured for $10,000, for their benefit.

The house on the Spilter farm was turned into a Sisters'
residence and school. Bishop Luers erected a two-story build-
ing for |3,000, the first story of which was used for a chapel,
and the upper story for a dormitory and the pastor's residence,
for which three rooms were set aside. Father Stephan, the
first priest in charge, remained until 1870. He was succeeded
by: Rev. Henry Renson, about one year; Rev. August Young,
from August 16, 1869 to October 1871; Rev. Bernard Kroeger,
from September 1872 till March 1, 1875; Rev. B. Hartmann,
from March 1, 1875 till August 1876; Rev. Matthias Zumbuelte,
from August 1876 till January 27, 1887.

Father Kroeger erected a two-story building, where St.
Joseph's College now stands; the lower story of which was
used for a school and two rooms for hired men, and the second
story served as a dormitory for the girls. The cost of this
building was about $1,600.

1. ST. JOSEPH'S ASYLUM FOR BOYS.

The Rev. George A. Hamilton, pastor of St. Mary's Church,
Lafayette, who died April 8, 1875, bequeathed in his will real
estate and money to the value of about $10,000, for the estab-
lishment of a manual labor school for orphan boys, in the
vicinity of Lafayette. The real estate included 580 acres,
located between Lafayette and the Battle Grounds. This land
had been devised to Father Hamilton by William B. Davis,
better known as Indian Bill. Besides this gift, another dona-
tion of fifty-one acres of land south of Lafayette, was made by
Owen Ball and J. B. Falley. On this land. Bishop Dwenger
began the building of St. Joseph's Orphan Asylum for boys,
in 1875. It is a four-story structure with a basement covering

Institutions of Charity, Continued. 479

an area of 121x113 feet; the to\yer of it rises to a height of
seventy-five feet, and affords a fine view of the city and sur-
rounding country. The cost was |33,000. In April 1876,
thirty-five orphan boys from the asylum at Rensselaer took
up their abode here, in charge of seven Sisters of the Holy
Cross, Rev. B. Hartmann being the chaplain, who remained
till July 1880. After him, the Rev. John H. Guendling had
charge until July 20, 1898, when he was succeded by his brother,
the Rev. Charles B. Guendling, who has had the care of the
institution since July 20, 1898. When the Sisters of the Holy
Cross were recalled to Notre Dame, the Sisters of St. Francis,
from the Mother-House at Lafayette, succeeded them at St.
Joseph's Asylum in 1894.

Additional ground of eighty acres was bought by Father
John Guendling for |4,300. This tract of land lies due east
of the Asylum, extending to Ninth street and the Big Four
railway tracks on the south. Within the past four years a
fine stretch of land on the west side has been reclaimed from
the condition of a swamp, and is now known as the Orphan
Park. The Ferry-boat and equipment with admiralty rights
on navigable rivers was bought for |1,200. The Board of
Works of the city of Lafayette donated the institution per-
petual free water, and the promise of the city Fire Apparatus
when needed.

The house on the farm was enlarged to double its capacity.
The Ferry received a new outfit of boat, cable, ropes and
ferry-man's house, at a cost of 1 1,350. After much hard work
and the expenditure of considerable money the Asylum is in
first class condition, and the surroundings present an attractive
appearance. In like manner the farm has improved and is
also at the present time all that could be desired.

Father Charles Guendling states that during the past
twenty-seven years the cash maintenance of a child averages
annually about $44.00; this includes clothing, shoes, schooling,
medicine, board and lodging, amounting actually to about
eleven cents a day. The Asylum has had under its roof about
1284 children; 163 were baptized, 487 made their first Com-
munion there and 385 were confirmed; and thirty-eight died.
At the present time the Asylum has the care of 133 children.
It has been estimated that the improvements and repairs

480 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

made by Father John Guendling amounted to |27,000, and
those made by Father Charles Guendling aggregating the sum
of 129,000.

2. ST. VINCENT'S ORPHAN ASYLUM FOR GIRLS.

In the years 1886 and 1887, the twenty-five acres of
ground, located within the present corporate limits of Fort
Wayne, bought by Bishop Luers, were utilized by his suc-
cessor. Bishop Dwenger, who erected on it the present St.
Vincent's Orphan Asylum. The building is of brick, has a
basement and four stories, the tower having a height of
125 feet. The basement contains vegetable and fruit cellars.
The chapel, 24x55 feet, with sacristy, reception parlor, dining-
room, sewing-room, kitchen and bakery are on the first floor.
The second floor has two school-rooms, four room^ for the
Sisters, sewing-room, spare-room, nursery and infirmary. A
second infirmary, another spare-room, linen-rooms, bath-
rooms, etc., are located on the third floor, the latter also on
the second floor. The fourth floor has a linen-room and a
large dormitory. The building covers an area of 126x100 feet,
and was erected at an outlay of |49,289.

In 1905 the Knights of Columbus realized about $9,000
by the holding of a fair for the benefit of the asylum. This
money was spent in the erection of a laundry building and a
complete laundry outfit. The play-house was also built, as
well as a hennery with an incubator. A beautiful grotto was
supplied by the former orphans of the institution at a cost of
several hundred dollars. The building is provided with con-
venient fire escapes.

The total number of orphan girls cared for up to date is
866: at the present time the inmates number 106. The Poor
Handmaids of Jesus Christ have had charge of this institution
from the beginning, at present there are twelve Sisters and
one postulant. The Rev. B. T. Borg was the first resident
chaplain, from 1887 till December 22, 1904, the date of his
death. The Fathers C. PP. S. residing at the mission-house
in connection with the Church of the Most Precious Blood,
attended the Asylum from the death of Father Borg till April
1, 1907; on which date the present resident chaplain, Rev.
L. R. Paquet, was appointed.

CHAPTER XXIV.

INSTITUTIONS OF CHARITY,
CONTINUED.

HOSPITALS.

The diocese of Fort Wayne is rich in hospitals conducted
by religious communities. They are found dotting the diocese
in every direction, and are the best evidence of active Christian
Charity and of the most generous support by Catholics and
non-Catholics. All these hospitals are in a most flourishing
condition. A list of them with a short sketch of each is given
here, in the chronological order of their establishment:

1. ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL, AT FORT WAYNE.

1869.

St. Joseph's Hospital, located on the corner of Main street
and Broadway in Fort Wayne, was established on May 9, 1869.
The building on this site, known as the Rock-hill Place was
remodeled and is now a part of the hospital. The convent of
the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, their Mother-house in
America, is in connection with the hospital, as also a normal
school for the teaching Sisters. Additions have been made of
the south wing, 130x30 feet in 1892 and in 1896 a fourth story
was added to the old building for a spacious operating room,
equipped with all modern conveniences. The hospital has a
second operating room on the first floor of the south wing.
The average number of patients is from 800 to 900 annually.
It is open to all, rich and poor, regardless of race, language or
creed. The chaplains of the convent also attend to the spiritual
needs of the patients. These chaplains have been three in
number: Rev. Theodore Hibbelen till February 2, 1886, Rev.

482 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Julius Becks till December 3, 1889, and since that time the
Rev. Thomas Eisenring, C. PP. S.

2. ST. ELISABETH'S HOSPITAL, AT LAFAYETTE.

1875.

When the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration
entered upon their work of charity, they were unknown and
without means. Until October 1876 they lived in a small
house placed at their disposal, but on June 11, 1876 the corner
stone of the beginning of St. Elisabeth's Hospital was laid on
two lots donated by Albert Wagner. The east wing was added
in 1879 and in 1883 the west wing and the chapel. So great
was the demand made on the hospital that further additions
became necessary in 1896 and were formally opened on January
6, 1897. The present imposing structure completing the
original plans of the hospital was perfected in 1905, when on
December 31st Bishop Alerding solemnly dedicated the institu-
tion and the new chapel. The building is a substantial three
story structure of brick and stone with basement and attic.
The basement contains kitchen, dining rooms, and rooms for
domestic purposes. On the first floor are the offices, parlors,
private rooms and dispensary. On the second and third floors
are dormitories and private rooms. All the floors are reached
by elevator. The physicians' lavatory and operating room are
thoroughly equipped. All the arrangements are modern and
complete throughout. Patients are received without distinc-
tion as to creed, race or nationality, whether rich or poor.

3. ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL, AT SOUTH BEND.

1882.

St. Joseph's Hospital at South Bend was established
October 20, 1882 in a building, which had been utilized for
church and parochial school purposes. The increasing demands
for hospital accommodations led to the erection of the present
building, situated on one of the highest points of the city and
commanding a beautiful view of the surrounding country.

Institutions of Charity, Continued. 483

The corner-stone was laid with becoming solemnity by Bishop
Alerding, on April 26, 1903. The new building was ready to
receive patients in February 1905. The structure is of red
pressed brick with stone trimmings, with a frontage of 156
feet and a depth of 100 feet; the main building is three stories
and the two wings two stories each in height. It has a capacity
to accommodate 100 patients. The hospital is in every respect
perfectly equipped for its purposes.

The Sisters of the Holy Cross have charge of the insti-
tution.

4. ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL, AT LOGANSPORT.

1893.

The Franciscan Sisters of Lafayette purchased the prop-
erty, which they now occupy in Logansport for Hospital
purposes, in the year 1893, for the sum of |10,000. The hos-
pital began to receive patients on the 4th day of October of
the same year. Twelve beds was all the accommodation the
hospital had in the beginning, with Sister M. Adriana Super-
ioress, and three nurses. In the first year of its existence the
hospital treated within its walls 108 patients; twenty-four of
whom paid in full, ten paid in part and seventy-four were
charity patients. So great was the patronage given the hos-
pital during the first year of its existence, that in 1894 the
building had to be enlarged. The sum of |3,000 was spent
on the addition and now the building can accommodate twice
the original number of patients. The hospital has all the
modern improvements in regard to heating, lighting and water.
It has six private rooms, two wards, operating rooms, drug
store, and other necessary adjuncts. The average number of
patients treated annually up to the present time is about 270.
Quite a number of the patients became converts to the Church.

The Rev. J. A. Mark was the chaplain from 1897 till 1904.
The present chaplain is the Rev. F. A. King. The usefulness
of St. Joseph's Hospital is made evident by the increased
patronage bestowed on it to such an extent, that preparations
are being made for the erection of a new structure.

484 Tie Diocese of Fort Wayne.

5. ST. JOHN'S HOSPITAL, AT ANDERSON.
1894.

St. John's Hospital, at Anderson, owes its existence to
Mr. John Hickey, a native of Ireland and a resident of Anderson,
since 1853. It was founded in 1894, in which year, on March
31st, he deeded his homestead, situated between Jackson and
Brown streets, to the Sisters of the Holy Cross. The frame
building was repaired and remodeled, but proved to be too
small to accommodate all the patients desiring admission. In
consequence one wing of the present building was erected in
1895; it being constructed of brick, 72x45 feet, two stories
high, costing about $9,000. The main building was erected in
1900 and cost |23,600. The dedication took place on October
21st, of the same year. The hospital contains forty rooms for
patients, exclusive of the chaplain's apartments. In 1906 the
old frame building was moved back of the main building,
where it is now utilized as a laundry. The grounds consist of
ten acres and have been much improved by paved streets, a
drive-way, etc.

Rev. D. J. Mulcahy, pastor of St. Mary's Church attended
to the spiritual wants of the hospital till June 17, 1897, when
Rev. Julius Becks was made the first resident chaplain, remain-
ing till his death on March 14, 1902. Since then the institution
is attended by the pastor or his assistant from St. Mary's
Church.

The success and growth of this hospital is due above all
to the generosity of Mr. John Hickey, who made many dona-
tions including his final bequest by will, when he died on
March 3, 1906; then to the city officials, the manufacturing
companies, the merchants of Anderson, the members of the
leading societies and clubs, religious and secular, the devoted
physicians and surgeons of the city, the pastor and his assist-
ants, and last but not least, to the zeal and hard work of the
Sisters of the Holy Cross themselves.

6. ST. MARGARET'S HOSPITAL, AT HAMMOND.

1898.

St. Margaret's Hospital, conducted by the Sisters of St.
Francis of Perpetual Adoration, was opened on February 2,

Institutions of Charity, Continued. 485

1898. The dwelling house, which stood on the site purchased
for the hospital, was used at the time; it afforded room only
for twenty patients. The growth and the prosperity of the
city of Hammond, and the demand on the Sisters' charity,
soon rendered the erection of a larger building imperative.
The corner-stone of the present building was laid by Very Rev.
John GuendUng, Administrator of the diocese, on October 1,

1899. The hospital has a measurement of 50x100 feet with
four stories and a basement; the whole being equipped with
all modern improvements. It can accommodate seventy
patients. The solemn dedication took place on October 4,

1900. In 1904 additional grounds were purchased, so that the
extension of the building when necessary can be made. A
building, entirely apart from the main hospital, is used for
patients afflicted with contagious diseases. Desirous to do
the greatest good to the greatest number patients are received
without distinction as to creed, race or nationality, the rich
having no preference over the poor.

7. ST. ROCH'S SANITARIUM, AT FORT WAYNE.

1899.

St. Roch's Sanitarium for consumptives is located in the
immediate vicinity of Fort Wayne. It was opened on Decem-
ber 3, 1899. The chapel in connection with this institution
dates from March 24, 1900 and in it Mass is celebrated on all
Sundays and Holydays and on every Saturday throughout the
year by the chaplain of St. Joseph's Hospital. The Poor
Handmaids of Jesus Christ have charge of the sanitarium.

8. THE HOLY FAMILY HOSPITAL, AT LAPORTE.

1900.

The Holy Family Hospital at Laporte is conducted by
Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ. Its doors were opened to
receive patients on March 1, 1900, with Sister Helena super-
ioress and four assistants. The building, a frame structure
was bought for |2,500 and to it a year later an addition of

486 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

thirty feet was made. In this way accommodations were
secured for about twenty persons. Later on an adjoining lot,
which had on it a small house, was acquired for |1,500. This
house was occupied by the Sisters and served also for hospital
kitchen. Having provided a heating system as well as lighting
and water appHances the Sisters had an outlay altogether of
about 111,000. During the six years of its existence this
hospital has had the care of about 1000 patients, of whom one-
half or one-third received treatment and shelter without
remuneration. The accommodations fall far short of meeting
the demands made for admission.

9. THE KNEIPP SANITARIUM, AT ROME CITY.

1901.

Until the year 1901 Doctor W. Geiermann had been con-
ducting a Kneipp Sanitarium at Rome City, a noted summer
resort in Noble county. The Sisters of the Most Precious
Blood secured this sanitarium by purchase in the year named.
The dimensions of this institution at the time were very limited.
The Sisters set to work at once to provide more room and
better accommodations for the rapidly increasing number of
patients. The new building was completed in the spring of
1903, but before three years had elapsed, the completion of
this structure according to original plans had become an
imperative necessity. The sanitarium affords accommodations
for upwards of 100 patients. One of the principal features of
the institution is its beautiful chapel which has a seating
capacity of 200. The chapel was dedicated by Bishop Alerding
on June 21, 1903. Besides carefully attending to the wants
of the patients the Sisters are also engaged in the perpetual
adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Prayer and labor are
the constant occupation of these devoted adorers of the Most
Precious Blood.

10. THE SACRED HEART HOSPITAL, AT GARRETT.

1901.

On April 13, 1901 the Rev. A. Young purchased the
residence with four lots on the corner of Houston and Ijam

Institutions of Charity, Continued. 487

streets, at Garrett, located one -square West of the church.
Here the Sacred Heart Hospital was opened. Father Young
gave the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart charge of it.
The accommodations were found wholly insufficient and in
1902 the erection of a new hospital was begun. The dimensions
are 40x120 feet, having a basement of eleven feet in the clear
and over it two stories with two verandas the full length in
the front and on the south side. It is one of the finest and
best equipped hospitals of its size. Two additional lots adjoin-
ing were secured giving the hospital grounds a frontage of 150
feet with a depth of 125 feet. The value of the property,
which has cost upward of |62,000 and which is clear of every
indebtedness, was presented by Father Young to the Franciscan
Sisters of the Sacred Heart, in July 1903. The name of Father
Young is inscribed on the face of the corner-stone. The hospital
was solemnly dedicated by Bishop Alerding on May 17, 1903.

The number of Sisters in charge of the hospital is ten, and
during the year 1906, 303 patients were cared for.

11. ST. ANTHONY'S HOSPITAL, AT MICHIGAN CITY.

1903.

In 1902 Mrs. John Bluett donated an entire block on
Wabash street between Ripley and Anne streets, in Michigan
City, to the Sisters of St. Francis of Lafayette, for the purposes
of a hospital. The citizens of Michigan City, Catholic and
non-Catholic, took a very general interest in the coming St.
Anthony's Hospital, which the Sisters proposed to erect. A
general subscription was taken to collect the necessary funds
and a fair and a number of festivals were held to assist in the
enterprise. The lady who donated the ground, and the Hon.
John H. Barker who gave in cash |10,000, are the principal
benefactors of the institution. The corner-stone was laid on
October 9, 1903 and the building was dedicated on November
11, 1904 by Bishop Alerding, amid the concourse of a vast
attendance of people. The cost of the building was $85,000.
Sister Valeria the local superior was most active in bringing
about the erection of St. Anthony's Hospital. Her noble life
was brought to an abrupt conclusion in an accident caused by

488 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

the elevator in July 1906. The hospital is a structure with a
basement, three stories and an attic, constructed of brick and
stone. The basement has in it the kitchen, the dining rooms
and rooms for domestic purposes. The first two floors have
the offices, parlors, private rooms and dispensary. The third
floor contains the chapel, private rooms and operating room
which latter is well equipped with all that is required for a
perfectly appointed room of this kind. The attic is used for
dormitories. The laundry has a separate building.

12. ST. ANN'S HOSPITAL, AT PERU.

St. Ann's Hospital is the property of the Wabash railroad
company. This company appreciates the services of the
Sisters, in the care of the sick, to such a degree that it has given
the Sisters of St. Francis, whose Mother-house is located at
Maryville, Missouri, full charge of the company's hospital at
Peru. Since July 1, 1906, four Sisters have the care of the
patients at this hospital.

CHAPTER XXV.

INSTITUTIONS OF CHARITY,
CONTINUED.

1. THE OLD people's HOME, AVILLA, 1876. 2. ST. ANTHONY's
HOME FOR THE AGED, LAFAYETTE, 1897.

1. The Old People's Home at Avilla was founded in 1876,
by Mother Anastasia (Bischler), a member of the Franciscan
Sisters of the Sacred Heart. In consequence of the Kultur-
kampf in Germany, the community was banished from their
native country. Rev. Dominic Duehmig assisted the Sisters
in every way to secure their estabhshment at Avilla. A farm
which had on it a frame building was bought from Thomas
Storey, for 1 12,000. This house and a small chapel erected in
the same year served the Sisters from 1876 until 1883. During
this time the Sisters took care of a few old people and a number
of orphans.

The present Home, a brick building, was erected in 1895,
and the old house was removed. The Home, as it stands at
present, has necessitated an expense of $40,000; most of this
money being furnished by the Mother-house at Joliet, Illinois.
The building and the grounds answer the purpose for which
they are intended in every respect.

The first chaplain of the home was Rev. Joseph Flach,
who, recently ordained, also emigrated from Germany on
account of the persecution of Catholics raging there. He
crossed the ocean with the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred
Heart, and arrived at Avilla in the year 1876, remaining there
as chaplain till March 1878. From that date until 1896, the
following priests were chaplains at the Home; Rev. B. Theo-
dore Borg, Rev. John Hoss, Rev. Sebastian Ganther, C. PP. S.
The present chaplain, Rev. Bernardine Abbink, O. S. F.. has
been chaplain at the Home since April 29, 1896.

Since 1896 one hundred and twenty-one old people have

490 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

been cared for. At the present time there are forty-two old
people, and the Home is in charge of eleven Sisters.

2. In 1897 the Sisters of St. Francis bought a tract of
land, several acres in extent near Lafayette, on which stood a
house, which was opened as St. Anthony's Home for the Aged.
A large and well appointed building was erected and dedicated
on October 6, 1903. An extensive grove of old forest trees
adjoins the property, and the surroundings are beautiful.
Removed from the noise of the city, yet easy of access, the
Home is an ideal place for aged people to spend their declining
years, under the fostering care of the Sisters of St. Francis.
There is room for sixty-five inmates; the number of Sisters
employed is eleven.

CHAPTER XXV!

EDUCATION.*

HISTORICAL REVIEW — SCHOOL BOARD — SCHOOL VISITORS — AP-
POINTMENT OF SUPERINTENDENT — COURSE OF STUDY —
SUPERVISION — TRAINING OF TEACHERS — ORGANIZATION OF
THE SCHOOLS — SITES AND PREMISES — DUTIES OF CHILDREN
IN REGARD TO ATTENDANCE — SPECIAL SCHOOLS — SCHOOLS
OF HIGHER LEARNING.

Historical Review.- -No history of the diocese of Fort
Wayne could be written without giving special prominence to
a subject, which has been one of the main factors in the
development of the diocese, and has always been its pride
and glory, — the subject of Catholic education.

At the advent of the first Bishop of Fort Wayne in 1857,
Catholic education was already here and extended to him a hand
of welcome. No greater consolation could have been offered
to Monssigneur Luers, as he faced the difficulties of his early
administration and gazed with anxious eye into the future,
than the hopeful promise he could discern in the fact that
already there were in his young diocese, schools for the ele-
mentary and secondary education of the rising generation, and
priests and people filled with an ardent desire to promote the
work already begun. There were only three schools and one
college when he came, but under his wise leadership they
rapidly increased in number and when he died there were in
existence forty schools and a university.

It is impossible to give full credit to this worthy Bishop,
to the priests, teachers and people, who in those days of poverty
and frightful struggle for the necessities of life, made such
heroic sacrifices for the cause of Christian education, and made
possible the advantages which we now enjoy.

*By the Rev. A. E. Lafontaine, Diocesan Superintendent of Schools.

492 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Bishop Luers encouraged the building of schools every-
where he went, and in purchasing sites for churches, always
included a site for the school. He was so out-spoken in his
advocacy of Christian and Catholic education for our people
that he was often attacked in the public press. Many of his
priests helped to build the schools out of their own scant means
and even taught the schools themselves notwithstanding their
arduous duties. The people were correspondingly generous,
and we are thankful, for we realize how difficult it would have
been later on to establish Catholic schools and mould Catholic
opinion to the proper appreciation of Catholic training in a
Catholic atmosphere if the youth of those days had been
educated in the new pubHc schools which were just then
springing up over the entire state. Other dioceses had to
create their Catholic system of education in the presence of a
well developed system of public instruction, with its many
material advantages, and history tells us under what enormous
difificulties they labored and how the most earnest desires and
energetic efforts of zealous Bishops were thwarted for years.

The schools of course labored under many disadvantages;
the buildings were small and poorly suited to their purpose,
the furnishings were of the most crude character and conven-
iences of all kinds were conspicuous by their absence. Some-
times the pupils were taught in the Church or in the house of
the pastor. It was impossible to have long terms and more
impossible still to exercise any choice in regard to the teachers,
some of whom were men without professional training, whose
main recommendation was their ability to instruct the choir
and play the organ. Some were far from being models to the
children they had to teach, others, however, be it noted, were
men one would hardly expect to find in a calling so poorly
remunerated in those days, graduates of a college or university
eminently fitted to teach any school by their profound knowl-
edge and splendid character. But these men it was hard to
keep. They passed on to positions more suited to their attain-
ments and the difficulties with regard to teachers in our ele-
mentary schools were only gradually overcome by the arrival
in'^the diocese of the different Sisterhoods on whom we now
depend and have depended ever since.

Bishop Luers was taken away suddenly on June 29, 1871,

Education, Continued. 493

and was succeeded by Bishop Dwenger, a man in his prime, of
vigorous mind and body, who devoted his splendid talents,
strong convictions, boundless enthusiasm and indefatigable
energy to continue the work so auspiciously begun under his
predecessor. He became in truth the champion of Catholic
education and was incessant in his urgings to his priests to
gather the children of their own parishes into schools of their
own, to protect them against the evil influences of Godless
schools, to preserve them in their innocence, and simplicity of
heart, to enlighten their minds with supernatural knowledge
and to fire their hearts with sincere love for God, Church and
country. His motto was, "Catholic schools for Catholic
children." A frequent expression of his was: "Catholic
schools now or empty churches a few years hence." He urged
the Catholic people to make their rallying cry and leading
principle: "Good parochial schools and a free Catholic edu-
cation for our children."

During his administration the diocese made wonderful
progress; new churches and parochial residences were erected
and in many places the inadequate frame school buildings were
replaced by commodious brick edifices. In the parishes in
which it was impossible to build a separate church and school
house, the churches were built in two stories, the lower one
serving as a school.

In order to promote the success of education, he established
a school board in 1879, giving to the diocese a distinction
enjoyed by none other, if we except Rochester, before the
Council of Baltimore. He also advocated the establishment
of high schools and in a strong letter, he even commanded that
central high schools for boys be erected in the large cities,
through the common efforts of the different parishes. So
successful was he in his zealous endeavors that when he was
taken away, all too soon, and we might say still a young man,
there were seventy schools and several academies in his diocese.

A few quotations wall serve to set in relief his convictions
on the subject of Catholic education.

"When we foster a generation of good, practical intelli-
gent Catholics, we secure all the elements required to discharge
every duty commanded by Holy Church and to fulfill all the
works of charity impHed in the CathoHc name." "The Catholic

494 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

school should be looked upon as an essential and integral part
of the church and hence the necessary expense for its support
should be defrayed by the congregation in general." "In the
teaching of the secular branches required in the ordinary
affairs of life, the parochial schools of the diocese must not
allow themselves to be excelled by any institution of similar
grade in the land." "Catholics should be taught to understand
and feel that the school is an integral part of the church, yea,
in our age and country the very foundation thereof. They
should be taught to understand and feel in their consciences
that it is as necessary to have a good Catholic school to give
their children a good Catholic education, as it is to have a
Church, divine service and the word of God preached to them.
It is a most sacred duty of parents to send their children to a
Catholic school where such exists in their midst. Neither
guilty parents neglecting to do this, nor willing children fre-
quenting the Godless public school instead of going to the
Catholic school, may receive the sacraments. If they do
receive absolution from a strange priest by concealing the
truth they commit a sacrilege. This duty of Catholics is so
plainly taught by reason, by Sacred Scriptures, by the numerous
decisions of Popes and Councils that there can be no doubt of
it. We refer to the words of St. Paul, that he who neglects
those of his household has denied the faith and is worse than
an infidel."

"There can be no doubt that in our age and especially in
our country our youth will lose their religion unless they are
thoroughly instructed in Catholic schools. The dangers to
religion are so great and so manifold that unless we prepare
our children well they will certainly fail. If we allow the pure
fertile field of their innocent hearts to become covered with
weeds, it will be almost useless to sow afterward the seed of
our holy faith. If they grow up as heathens it will be very
hard or impossible to convert them. Children who have to
answer the fierce and constant warfare waged against our holy
faith, must be well instructed and disciplined. In this contest
the school is as necessary as the Church and in its peculiar
place even more so. Our work is not perfect, but we can work
and work we will cheerfully and harmoniously for the greatest
and most important object of the present time— Catholic

Education, Continued. 495

Education." His interest in school matters and great foresight
appear in what follows: "1 fully agree that the frequent
change of teachers is a great evil. It takes a long time before
a new teacher learns the antecedent qualifications, the dispo-
sition and talents of the scholars. The period during which a
new teacher is making a reputation in the school room is always
a critical period, the seldomer the experiment is tried the
better for the schools. I am aware, however, that there are
occasions, when even good teachers belonging to a religious
community must be changed, but I have always expressed the
opinion that such changes should be made only when very
necessary and as seldom as possible, it is our wish, therefore,
that wherever possible steps be at once taken to provide for
graded schools. In towns and cities of two or more Congre-
gations, this can be done without any very great difficulty.
Very few Congregations, even in large cities can support the
different grades or departments required to give an advanced
education; but by all the Congregations within a suitable
distance uniting and supporting one advanced school, this
great want can be supplied and the work can be done far better
than is now sometimes attempted by divided and single-handed
efforts. This necessity appears to be more pressing in regard
to schools for advanced boys; and it is plain, that as our people
acquire more wealth whereby they will be enabled to send
their boys longer to school and require a higher grade of educa-
tion than heretofore, this necessity will become more pressing
and at the same time far more disastrous. Wherever then, in
towns and cities it may be possible to establish a high school,
priests should unite and work hand in hand to found and sup-
port such a school. This is our wish, this is our positive order."
Bishop Rademacher succeeded Bishop Dwenger in October,
1893. He continued the policy of his predecessor concerning
the schools, which continued to grow in numbers and increase
in efficiency. During the first five years of his administration
sixteen new schools were built, at an expense of over forty
thousand dollars. He never spared himself when the interests
of education were at stake and in spite of his arduous labors he
would travel the length and breadth of his diocese, in order to
encourage by his presence the efforts of the children at their
commencement exercises. His splendid character and many

496 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

most amiable qualities gained the deep love of his priests and
they vied with each other in their efforts to satisfy his every
wish.

He was succeeded by the present Bishop, Right Rev.
H. J. Alerding who became immediately known among the
Priests as a most ardent school man. He found the Diocese
no longer in its infancy, with the tide of immigration spent,
and the schools therefore, could not be expected to increase in
numbers by leaps and bounds as in the past. Nevertheless,
under his loving and paternal care, his wise direction and
enthusiastic devotion to the cause, the schools have improved
their condition, have become more perfectly organized, and
have vastly increased in efficiency.

As a proof of his tender solicitude in this regard, he wrote
a pastoral letter on vocation to the religious state. Among
other things he says: "It is they (who enter the religious
state), next to the priests who keep alive the faith and quicken
the spiritual life of the Church. Pastors of souls will readily
testify of what immense influence for good these religious are
in parishes. Indeed, what would become of our schools if
we had not these teachers. The vows they have taken qualify
them in character and the special training received makes them
the best educators for our children. The providence of God
has given the Church these religious communities as an endow-
ment upon which no money value can be put. There is not
money enough on earth to furnish one religious. God's voca-
tion alone and His grace together with faithful cooperation
can train these religious, both brothers and sisters. * * *
I wish to bring to your notice that the Church is being ham-
pered in her work of educating her youth because the number
of teachers, brothers and sisters is inadequate.

"We have evidence that Catholic education has at last
become the concerted work of the Church in this country.
The schools are increasing everywhere, new schools are being
organized and the attendance at the schools already existing
is increasing wonderfully year by year. This is as it should
be. Yet, though the work is increasing, the number of the
workers is not increasing in proportion. The cry all over the
land is: WE MUST HAVE MORE BROTHERS AND
SISTERS TO TEACH OUR SCHOOLS. To carry on the

Education, Continued. 497

work of high schools for boys, the number of brothers is woe-
fully deficient, out of all proportion to the number needed."

School Board. — In 1879 Bishop Dwenger desiring to im-
prove the condition of the schools and create a diocesan system,
at the instance of Rev. J. H. Oechtering and the Rev. M.
O'Reilly, established a diocesan school board composed of the
following members: Very Rev. J. Benoit, President, Rev.
M. O'Reilly, Secretary, Rev. W. Corby, C. S. C, Rev. E.
Koenig, Rev. J. Rademacher, Rev. H. Meissner, Rev. J. H.
Oechtering. The board resolved to prepare an annual report
for the following reasons, which they expressed to the Bishop:
"By means of a well prepared annual report. Right Rev,
Bishop, it will be in your power to perceive at a glance what
is being done for the education of Catholic youth in your
diocese. In your hands are placed statistics from the most
humble as well as the more opulent localities under your juris-
diction, which may justify a timely reproof or elicit a word of
encouraging approbation. You can learn where zeal begins
to flag, or where charity begins to grow cold; for with indiffer-
ence toward the Catholic education of youth begins the moral
death of the Congregation. The Clergy of the diocese will be
able to compare the effects of their charitable labors with those
of their neighbors. The people are by no means indifferent to
their best interests, and when they are once led to apprehend
the untold blessings of a good Catholic school, the most difficult
part of the Pastor's labor is ended."

The Board also at the first meeting, considered the question
of text books which they termed deplorably irregular, but did
not deem it judicious to prescribe a uniform set of text books
and command an immediate change. They thought the
solution of this question should be left to the good judgment of
the Pastors and Teachers for some years at least. A statistical
report of forty-four schools giving the number of pupils, the
number of teachers, the text books and the branches studied
was published. A perusal of this report shows how much the
schools differed from each other, and showed the wisdom of
trying to gather these scattered units under diocesan direction.
In its yearly reports the School Board turned its attention to
the different phases of school work and made many valuable
suggestions and attempted much needed reforms.

498 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

Among the topics discussed and recommended were the
necessity of estabhshing a system of examination for secular
teachers, "we plainly see that the power for good, a well qual-
ified teacher, should have in the Congregation and school room,
is neutralized and more or less inoperative until he or she can
exhibit the voucher of competency witnessed by the Episcopal
seal. This cannot be brought about effectively and with all
the exterior evidences of thoroughness and impartiality until
the general system of examination is adopted, that must pass,
in all its details, under the impartial eye of Episcopal juris-
diction.

"The necessity of avoiding too frequent changes of teachers.

"Next to a high grade of qualifications in a teacher the
most important point to be considered affecting the well-being
of our schools, is, change of teachers. It is a high encomium
on the ability of the many teachers employed in the diocesan
schools up to the present time, when we assure you that for
the one injury done by not promptly removing an incompetent
teacher, ninety-nine evils have arisen from changes without
apparent cause.

"The division of the Diocese into districts.

"We hope that you may consider the time near at hand
when you can divide the diocese into districts, over each of
which, you will appoint a competent priest, whose duty it will
be to visit the schools, preside at examinations, and assist the
School Board in carrying out your plans for the general good.

"The establishment of graded schools.

"However remote the completion of your hopes may be,
in regard to establishing graded schools in towns and cities
containing two or more Congregations, we would deem it very
important should you be pleased to permit your views on the
subject to be published for the instruction of all those, who
may be expected to engage in this important undertaking.

"Course of study for the Parochial Schools.

"There are many reasons why this idea should be reduced
to practice. Pastors and teachers will have an outline of the
studies expected to be pursued in the Parish Schools. Parents
will be enabled to see what their children should have accom-
plished before they can be justly taken away from school, and
pupils themselves will be able to determine their own standing

Education, Continued. 499

in the course, and will be thereby "encouraged to complete with
honor the few years' order of study outlined for them. There
will be always some exceptions to the best devised plans, but
it is thought that a moderate and well arranged course of study
presented to the schools, and followed as far as practicable will
result in more general good than anything that may follow
from the irregularity and indefmiteness that now pervades our
schools. We present the following course for our parochial
schools, not making it of obligation but indicative of what
should be attempted to be done:

"primary grade.

"First Year, I. — Age of children 6 to 7 years.

"Charts, primer, phonic spelling, primary spelling, first
reader, drawing and printing or writing on slates. Verbal
religious instructions.

"Second Year 11. — Age of children 7 to 8 years.

"Phonic spelling, verbal orthography, elementary arith-
metic, second reader, drawing and printing or writing on slates.
Verbal religious instructions.

"Third Year 111. — Age of children 8 to 9 years.

"Verbal and written orthography, mental arithmetic,
primary arithmetic with book and slate, oral elementary
geography, third reader. Catechism.

"intermediate grade.

"Fourth Year I. — Age of children 9 to 10 years.

"Verbal and written orthography, arithmetic, mental and
practical; oral grammar, oral geography, penmanship on paper,
catechism, fourth reader.

"Fifth Year 11. — Age of children 10 to 11 years.

"Verbal and written orthography, simple dictation exer-
cises, No. 2 geography, intermediate grammar, arithmetic,
mental and practical, penmanship, fourth reader, catechism.

"Sixth Year III. — First Communion Year-— Age of children
11 to 12 years.

"Written orthography, daily; No. 2 geography completed,
intermediate grammar completed, arithmetic, mental and prac-
tical; sacred historv, dictation exercises, fifth reader, catechism.

500 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

"senior grade.

"Seventh Year I.— Age of children 12 to 13 years.

"Written orthography daily; grammar school speller,
arithmetic, mental and practical completed. No. 3 geography,
advanced grammar, sacred history, physiology (optional),
original composition weekly, fifth reader, catechism.

"Eighth Year II. — Confirmation Year. — Age of children
13 to 14 years.

"Grammar school speller completed, grammar completed
(not including prosody). No. 3 geography completed, physiology
(optional), U. S. History with written reviews of each lesson,
percentage reviewed, bookkeeping (single entry), letter writing
weekly; catechism."

It will be noticed that this course of study divided the
school period into eight years and three grades and defined
the subjects to be pursued in the schools of the diocese. This
was a valuable help, no doubt, in the establishment of more
systematic study in the schools, and answered the purpose
expressed by the members of the board of a line of separation
between the Parochial schools and High schools. It also
helped the children to know their position in the school and
how many years they would be required to attend. As a
course of study, however, its vagueness would prevent rather
than assist uniformity in the schools, as each diflferent teacher
would be free to interpret the amount to be learned in each
grade according to his own ideas. This may be easily seen by
comparison of any topic, say arithmetic in the fourth, fifth
and sixth years.

School Visitors. — Another very important matter was the
division of the diocese into school districts and the appointment
of priests to act as visitors. In 1882, six districts were created
under the supervision of the Very Rev. J. Benoit, Rev. E.
Koenig, Rev. John Oechtering and Rev. F. Koerdt, for the
first district; of Rev. Henry Meissner for the second district;
of Rev. E. P. Walters for the third; of Rev. Joseph Rademacher
for the fourth; of Rev. August Oechtering for the fifth; of
Rev. M. O'Reilly for the sixth. These Reverend Fathers were
supposed to visit the schools assigned to them at least once a
year and to render a report in writing to the School Board at
its annual meeting. Their annual reports were to cover every

Education, Continued. 501

point pertaining to the improvement of the schools, the quali-
fications of teachers, the progress and standing of pupils, the
state of school buildings, the conveniences in the school rooms,
the play-grounds and surroundings. In 1883 the School Board
expressed the opinion that nothing could promise more valuable
benefits than the division of the diocese into school districts
and the appointment of school visitors. However, in that
year there were no reports of the visitors, and it was decided
to grant them another year's experience. As was to be ex-
pected there was difficulty in obtaining complete and correct
reports from the schools and Bishop Dwenger referred to the
matter in the following terms: "The Bishop can command
and does command that this duty be performed and the Bishop
will personally take cognizance thereof and enforce it." At
the meeting of the School Board in October, 1885, the "Visitors"
presented a report showing the result of their work in visiting
each school assigned them and holding examinations. These
reports made manifest that the schools of the diocese were in
a satisfactory condition. They informed the Board that in a
number of instances these examination days were made a sort
of holiday for the parents, who crowded into the halls and
school rooms and manifested quite an interest in the proceed-
ings and looked with much pleasure upon the invitation of
their pastor to attend the school examinations. The Board,
however, resolved not to publish the reports of the visitors.
An interesting item is the following: "The school visitors of
the several districts were unanimous in asking the Board to
recommend in their report to the Right Rev. Bishop, that
teachers should seek to keep the entire school occupied; and
that whilst one portion of the school was engaged in recitation,
the other portion shall be engaged in preparing a lesson."
Another topic discussed was the system, now so much in vogue
in many of our schools, of loading the child with too many
lessons to be learned at home in the evening. At this meeting
of the Board it was decided to publish two pedagogical articles
to be prepared by members of the Board, one on Principles of
Education and one on School Punishments, and at the same
time it was resolved not to publish the reports of the examiners
in a yearly pamphlet as had been the intention, but to submit
them to the Bishop alone for perusal.

502 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

The zeal of the School Board, therefore, did a great deal
for the schools of the diocese, but it desired to do more. The
schools were improving certainly, but each one in its own way;
there was no unity in standard, grading, studies or text.

The visit of the examiner was announced beforehand and
prepared for, and all he could do was to attest that the children
knew the matter which had been prepared. What branches
had been studied did not depend on him; whether they were
suited to the grade or to the age of the children and what
method was used in imparting them were questions outside of
his province; in fact, all the many problems of school manage-
ment were to him as a closed book. If the efficiency of the work
were to be increased the Board felt that a system should be
created which would not only look at the child on examination
day, but would inquire scientifically into all the problems
which make for real progress in education and which would
influence for the better all the schools of the diocese at the same
time, and all the time.

Finally in the fifteenth annual report of the School Board
a suggestion of the greatest importance was made to the Right
Rev. Bishop:

" It must be to your Lordship an ever growing pleasure to
note the constantly increasing zeal of Pastors and Teachers.
Still you will also realize the necessity and great value of greater
concentration in school affairs and a more homogeneous
curriculum in our schools. Our Priests, it is true, are eminently
qualified to direct the work of education in their respective
parishes. Before their ordination many years were spent in
studying under capable instructors, thus leaving the ecclesias-
tical seminary thoroughly educated men. Their knowledge too
is not altogether theoretical; for all through their course it
received a practical turn. Their zeal for souls impels them
to study the latest and most improved methods of imparting
the truths of religion and the facts of science to the youthful
mind. They enter their respective schools with a mind stored
with knowledge and a heart full of affection for the children
committed to their charge. As they move from class to class
encouraging the diffident, urging on the slothful, rewarding
the deserving, cheering the despondent, correcting the way-
ward, their influence for good is felt by the entire school and

Education, Continued. 503

parish, young and old coming to regard them as their bene-
factor, their Father and their friend. In spite of these facts,
experienced Priests acknowledge with all sincerity, that the
many onerous parochial duties do not give them sufficient
time for the proper study of school matters. Hence, both the
utility and necessity of assigning this work to some efficient
and experienced Priest, who would not be burdened with paro-
chial cares, in whom the Pastors had confidence and to whom
they would yield obedience in school matters. Who could
study methods and books; who could bring about concentra-
tion and supervision. Father Shanahan, Superintendent of
Parochial schools at Philadelphia, says: 'This is the only way
by which we can compete with and surpass public schools.
Only those ignorant of the benefit of a definite system and uni-
formity in the methods of teaching, underrating the arduous
duties of teachers with the concomitant difficulties will insist
that each Pastor should run the school to suit himself.'

"Eminent and experienced men of the School Boards of
other dioceses acknowledge: 'The end aimed at by the insti-
tution of school boards, viz: A higher standard of education
among our children, will not be reached until the matter is
placed in the hands of one man, a Priest whose sole occupation
will be to busy himself about the schools, a system which has
been adopted and works most satisfactorily in Boston, Phila-
delphia, Brooklyn and Rochester.' Hence the School Board
would repeat its request of last July, that we may come to a
proper course of study for city and country schools, that several
years be given for the preparation thereof and in compiling the
same the schedules for studies for elementary schools, followed
by the various teaching orders of the diocese be carefully exam-
ined and followed."

To this proposition of the School Board to appoint a
diocesan Superintendent for the schools of the diocese. Bishop
Rademacher gave his hearty approval, regretting, however,
that the project would have to be delayed for sometime.

On account of his sickness and death, the subject was not
resumed for several years, and it was not until 1901 that
Bishop Alerding, at a meeting of the School Board, finally
decided to appoint Rev. A. E. Lafontaine to the position.

Appointment of Superintendent. — The new Superintendent

504 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

was directed to become acquainted with the conditions of the
schools of the diocese during that year and to report to the
Board at the next meeting.

After a careful visit of the schools he found that in spite
of the recommendations of the School Board a great deal had
to be done in the work of organization and systematization.
Many schools were not graded, those that were did not agree
in the number of grades nor in the branches to be studied.
Often the teacher classified the pupils according to his own
ideas or according to first, second, third or fourth reader. In
fact, there was an almost total lack of unity and each school
was a law unto itself.

In regard to method too many teachers required the pupils
to memorize by heart the lessons of the text book and to recite
word for word.

The text books also were unnecessarily multipHed. It
was soon realized that the position of Superintendent was one
of great difficulty and responsibility. On account of his rela-
tion to the teachers and pupils on the one hand and to the
Bishop and School Board on the other, the position was like
the keystone of the educational arch. He would have to be
examiner, inspector, and superintendent all in one. As
examiner he would have to be able to inquire intelligently
into and determine all matters pertaining to the quahfications
of teachers and pupils. As inspector, he would have to be
able to ascertain the quality of the teaching, the character of
the management, detect whatever might be wrong in matter
or method and point out the means of correction. As super-
intendent, he would have to be able to oversee carefully, advise
wisely and direct intelligently. The best schools of the Union
would have to be visited, the latest developments in pedagogy
studied, the best text books considered and chosen.

The intention of the School Board was to allow him several
years to prepare plans for his work, but it was recognized that
it would take years in any case to produce tangible results
even with prompt action. As soon as possible, therefore, a
program was prepared of which the following is a summary:
A uniform course of study .^Uniform examinations.— Exhibits
of the work of the pupils. — Co-operation of religious orders in
inspection. — Reliable statistics by means of daily registers and

Education, Continued. 505

teachers' reports. — Means to influence the normal training given
to the teachers. — Greater uniformity in text books. — Improved
methods of teaching. — Regulation of the daily program. — Exact
determination of the Hmits of the grammar schools and high
school entrance requirements. — Means to obtain high schools
covering a complete course equal to that of the state and satis-
factory to the Catholic colleges.

This program discussed before the School Board and ap-
proved by the Bishop was the first step in the reorganization
and is still in process of development.

Course of Study. — The course of study for the grammar
schools in the diocese has been divided into eight grades,
allowing one year to each grade. In some schools the first
grade is given more than a year. Six months or less are allowed
to what is called the primary class. Throughout all the other
grades, the time allotted is practically followed.

The branches to be taught comprise: Catechism and bible
history, reading, spelling, arithmetic, geography, history,
grammar, penmanship, nature study, physiology, vocal music,
drawing, literature, algebra, bookkeeping, and art as derived
from the greatest paintings of the world.

The main object of the course is not only to fit the child
thoroughly for high school work, but to provide for the case
which so frequently happens, in which the grammar school is
the end of the child's schooling. It endeavors to give him all
that he requires to earn an honest living in the world of industry;
it provides for his religious and moral instruction and pays
great care to his culture and refinement.

The subjects to be taken up in each grade are prescribed
by the diocese; they are also outlined with sufficient detail to
direct the teacher in the attainments which he is to require
from his pupils. Too much detail, however, is avoided in order
to preserve some elasticity in the course, in order to meet the
different conditions of numbers or grades. No subject is really
optional, but in certain cases, what are called fundamentals
are temporarily given precedence.

The teachers are not allowed to give instruction in the
matters not pertaining to their grade. When teachers have
different grades in a room, they are allowed to hold combined

506 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

recitations in certain subjects, whenever by so doing they may ^
save time without detriment to the pupils. I

Although the religious instruction is left under the direct
supervision of the Pastor, it is the duty of the teachers to create
a religious atmosphere and to permeate all the daily studies
with the spirit of religion.

The teachers are considered the best judges in matters
pertaining to the promotion of the pupils, but in cases where
the school has a principal charged with supervision of the
classes, classification and promotion are within his province.

When a child is seriously deficient in any of the branches,
he should not be promoted to the next grade. However, he
should not be kept in one grade longer than two years.

Children of the eighth grade who desire to be formally
recognized by the diocese as graduates of the grammar schools
are obliged to pass a written examination given by the Super-
intendent. If they pass this examination in a satisfactory
manner and receive testimonials of scholarship and good con-
duct from their teacher and Pastor, they receive a diploma,
which entitles them to entrance into any of our high schools,
and gives formal testimony to the fact that they have com-
pleted in all its branches the grades prescribed by the
diocese.

In order to determine whether the course meets with
success or failure in actual practice, and also to maintain
uniformity in the different grades in all the schools of the diocese,
a written examination is given by the Superintendent in April
of each year. The value of these examinations resides not
only in the information which they give concerning the knowl-
edge of the students, but in the fact that they reveal the
different methods in use and their comparative worth, covering
as they do the entire work of the school. They reveal the habits
of thought, of industry and of thoroughness of both the pupils
and teachers. They furnish permanent records for the guidance
of the Superintendent and for discussion with the teachers.
They enable the Board to pass judgment on the standards of
the different schools and they show the interpretation given to
the subjects of the course.

This course of study under proper supervision has been
the occasion of incalculable improvement in the schools of the

Education, Continued. 507

diocese taken as a whole. Even schools laboring under extra-
ordinary difficulties have advanced in a remarkable manner.
Some, for example, which five years ago graduated pupils with
the bare rudiments of English grammar, offered this year
candidates for the diploma who passed without difficulty an
examination in English, which comprised not only the complete
grammar with punctuation and prosody, but a thorough literary
study of several standard authors.

Others that have been satisfied with common fractions in
their higher grades, today are teaching algebra and book-
keeping. While still others who thought it impossible to teach
anything but catechism, reading, writing and arithmetic are
now taking with pleasure and success all the other branches
including the so-called culture studies.

It is not to be denied that special studies such as hygiene,
music, nature and art work present some difficulty and the
work is not carried out in all the schools as it should be, but the
progress is constant and the future is promising.

Of course no curriculum of study may remain the same for
many years in a progressive school system, and the course
prepared by the diocese will naturally undergo many changes,
but these changes will rarely be radical and will be made only
when required by necessity and after thorough discussion with
the teaching body and when experience will have shown that
the subjects introduced have passed the experimental stage
and give assurance of solid benefits.

Supervision. — The Superintendent is expected to visit the
schools personally as often as possible. The teachers are sup-
posed to teach in his presence whatever subject may be assigned
to them and in that way he studies their manner and method
as well as their fitness. He also examines the pupils either
orally or by written work. When he finds defects in organi-
zation or method he points them out afterward and keeps a
note of them. He offers suggestions for improvement also.
As the work of all the teachers of a community is generally
very similar, he often finds that a remark made to the com-
munity inspector or to the Superior General has a wide reaching
influence.

In order to obtain perfect records of attendance, daily
registers have been prepared by the aid of which each teacher

508 The Diocese of Fort Wayne,

is enabled at the end of the scholastic year to furnish an accurate
report covering the following items : Number of pupils enrolled.
— Average attendance. — Average age. — Number of days school
was in session. — How the course of study is followed or modified.
— If the authorized text books are used. — Number of years
experience. — Number of years or months in the present school.
— Number of grades taught. — Number of pupils in each grade.
— Number of visits of inspector. — Number of visits of superin-
tendent.— Number of visits of pastor. — Number of maps and
globes. — Area of blackboard. — How often the school is swept.
— How often scrubbed. — How often the walls are cleaned. —
How many hours are taught daily. — How many days the school
was in session. — What suggestions they wish to make in the
interests of the schools. — How they have divided and worked
out their daily program. — How many hours given to each
subject weekly.

On account of the number of schools, of the large size
of the diocese and of the many duties of the superintendent,
his visits must necessarily be infrequent and short. This is a
serious drawback to efficient supervision. In order to counter-
act this defect, the superintendent recommended one remedy
that could be successfully adopted, namely, that the religious
communities be invited to appoint from among their experi-
enced teachers, inspectors with the duty of visiting and exam-
ining their schools. With only a few schools to visit, they
could spend sufficient time in the class rooms to become thor-
oughly acquainted with all their phases. Being in such close
touch with the Sisters of their own order, they could express
the actual sentiments and views of the teachers and could
furnish the superintendent with all the information necessary,
to devise means to produce the greatest harmony and solidarity
in the whole system. If this plan could be followed we would
have eleven or twelve inspectors and the organization and
supervision of our schools would be almost perfect.

For the reports of these inspectors a form was prepared
embracing the following questions: What is the number of
pupils in each grade?— Their average age. — What is their
standing in the different subjects?— What is their deportment?
—What is the general impression?— What is the condition of
the school in regard to floor, ceiling and walls, windows and

Education, Continued. 509

doors, heating, ventilation, desks and seats, blackboards, maps,
globes and charts? — What are the conditions of the grounds,
water supply, etc.? — What are the improvements needed in
the school? — What are the names of the teachers? — What are
the remarks which they wish to suggest as a result of their
inspection? — What was the date of their visit?

Unfortunately only a few communities have been able so
far to accede to this desire, but all favor it and there is reason
to believe that in a short time it will be satisfied.

Parents are also kept advised of the progress of their
children by means of monthly reports.

Training of Teachers. — Accepting the dictum: "As the
teacher is, so is the school," the Superintendent made an effort
to control or influence the examinations of the teachers. The
object was not to inquire into their academic training, because
almost without exception, our teachers are perfectly well
equipped in the knowledge of the subjects which they are to
teach, but to enable the Diocese to give direction in the special
technical training in the science and art of teaching. He was
convinced that only good could come to the body of schools, if
our young teachers were given reasonable regulations and wise
directions concerning the study of psychology and child study,
the history of education, methods of teaching, school manage-
ment, school law, practice work and philosophy of education,
because it is a great source of suffering to the teacher to be
obliged to grope in the dark until he has learned the art of his
calling through bitter experience, and the child shares in the
agony.

While there is no immediate examination of the teachers
by the Diocese, it must not be inferred that the teachers'
training is neglected; on the contrary in most of the commun-
ities, it is tended to with great care and in a most practical
manner. This is the way it is carried out in one of the best
organized communities. The future teachers having com-
pleted the high school course, receive special training for two
years during the novitiate, and if obliged on account of the
scarcity of teachers to take a class before the two years have
elapsed, they must return to the training school as soon as
they are free. After the novitiate they receive each year,
five weeks normal training under experienced teachers, in

510 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

matters pertaining to the grades with which they are working,
and at the end of the five weeks they must pass a written
examination. This institute work and written examination
is taken by all the teachers every year, until they have had
twenty-five years experience, after which time they are
excused.

During the institute time, besides the regular course, they
attend once a week lectures given by prominent educators of
the United States, and for thirty minutes every morning they
listen to the criticisms or commendations and special directions
of the community inspector, who has visited their schools
throughout the year.

Such a system evidently insures learned, competent and
practical teachers. It also acquaints them thoroughly with
the most advanced thought in education. It is also a deadly
enemy to routine.

Other communities although perhaps less perfectly organ-
ized, fully recognize the importance of trained teachers and
give the subject the most serious attention, and as much time
as circumstances will permit. Some of the communities also
send their most promising pupils or candidates to the State
normal school in order that they may be acquainted with the
methods in use.

The Superintendent also exercises a direct influence on
the teachers by addresses and meetings, by criticisms and
encouragement, by bringing before them the practice of the
best teachers, by showing the work of the pupils of the best
schools to those less advanced, and by introducing to their
notice whatever may give variety or interest to their teaching.

Organiiation of the Schools. — A parochial grammar school
must be erected in every parish and the proper means for its
support must be devised. The pastor who neglects this im-
portant duty renders himself Hable to removal. It is for the
Bishop to decide whether in given cases, exception can be made.

In this Diocese the school system consists of parish schools,
high schools and academies, colleges and one university.

The parish schools and high schools are organically con-
nected by means of courses of study and examinations con-
ducted by the Superintendent of Schools. Although desirable,
there is so far no close connection between the schools and the

Education, Continued. 511

colleges or university. These institutions of higher learning
are conducted by religious orders and governed by them in
their own way, subject only to the general authority given to
bishops in the government of their diocese.

Each parish school is under the immediate superintendence
of the pastor; it is his duty to visit the school at least once a
week, watch over the morals of the children, stimulate their
zeal, teach them in person the catechism and bible history, or
at least see that this be done by competent teachers. It is
also his duty to control the attendance of the children, the
order and discipline of the school, the reverence and obedience
of the pupils to their teachers and the love and loyalty of the
children to the Church. It is also his exclusive privilege to
determine whether a child may be dismissed or not.

Above all it is on the pastor that the material support of
the school depends, without good teachers we would have poor
scholars, without diocesan supervision we might have imper-
fect standards, want of organization and arrested progress,
but without good, zealous, self-sacrificing pastors we would have
no schools at all. It is true th^it our good people contribute
the funds, but the funds become available only through the
work of the pastors. How true this is, history tells us. Par-
ishes that had schools saw them disappear, while others so
small that a school seemed impossible saw it grow and flourish
and the ultimate cause of these changes was the pastor. Hence,
if we have so many schools, not magnificent it is true but in
excellent condition for the purpose for which they are intended;
if we are able to make a yearly expenditure of what would be
equivalent to over |400,000, if computed on the basis of %27.67,
which it costs the public schools of Indiana to educate each
pupil, full credit must be given to the pastor, whose indefati-
gable energy and undying zeal have made such things possible

Up to the present the support of the school is furnished in
great part by tuition fees supplemented by contributions from
church societies and from the funds of the parish. Pastors
however are required to make every possible endeavor to have
the school a free school and some have succeeded.

A diocesan fund has been started to furnish the needed
support for the poorer schools.

Sites and Premises.— The regulations of the School Board

512 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

regarding sites for school houses are not specified, nor is it
possible to enter into much detail. The only requirements
are, that the school be placed on grounds well drained, in a
locality not detrimental to health, where a sufficient quantity
of pure water can be obtained and the light be not obstructed.
Other requirements are left to the judgment of the pastor.

When a school is to be erected in a parish, the pastor is
the judge of the plan, style, materials and cost of the building,
and he also superintends the erection. After he has given his
ideas to a competent architect and received plans and specifi-
cations, he is obliged to send them to the Bishop, who generally
subjects them in turn to the Superintendent of Schools, but
approves or rejects them according to his own judgment.
Should he approve them, the Building Committee is notified
and is obliged to visit the location of the proposed building and
enter into a thorough discussion of all the practical details.

The following recommendations are made by the School
Board. All about the school should be kept in proper repair;
the walls should be cleaned or white washed once a year; the
floors swept and washed as often as cleanliness, neatness and
the laws of health require; cloaks and hats should not hang in
the school room; suitable means of ventilation should be pro-
vided, and heating apparatus should be sufficient to easily
maintain a uniform temperature of 70 degrees throughout all
the school rooms. Single desks should be preferred and should
be adapted to the size of the pupils; they should be placed in
the school room so that the light may fall over the left shoulder
of the pupil; as much blackboard surface as possible should be
provided, and of course a school is not considered properly
equipped unless it has charts, globes, maps, dictionaries and
other appliances which are necessary for the proper teaching
of the different subjects embraced in the course.

The water closets for the sexes should be under different
roofs and all possible precautions should be taken to keep
them clean and in a sanitary condition.

Whatever be the source of drinking water, it should be
protected with great care from any surface drainage or sewage
of any kind.

The Duties of the Children in Regard to Attendance. — All
children of required age are obliged to attend the parochial

Education, Continued. 513

school, unless they have been exoused for reasons approved by
the Bishop. This also applies to children advanced in their
studies if the course for which they are fit is taught in the Cath-
olic schools. Wherever there is a parochial school, no child
will be admitted to first Communion, unless he has attended
the parochial school for at least two years.

Children living at a distance of four miles or more from
the parochial school are exempted from the obligation of
attending the parochial school.

Children under ten years of age, living at a distance of
from three to four miles from the parochial school are not obliged
to attend the parochial school.

Children under eight years of age, living at a distance of
from two to three miles from the parochial school are not
obliged to attend the parochial school.

Parents who persistently refuse to send their children to
the Catholic school cannot be absolved.

Special Schools. — While the progress of the primary
schools in the diocese has been magnificent, the same cannot
be said of the high schools for boys.

As far back as in 1884 Bishop Dwenger urgently appealed
to the priests, having charge of city parishes, to combine
together and erect at least one high school for boys in each
large city. So far, this appeal has remained unanswered
mainly on account of an obstacle thus far insurmountable,
lack of funds. Another serious difficulty is the scarcity of
male teachers, combined with the refusal of the religious com-
munities of women to teach boys over fifteen.

We have no high school for boys if we use the term in its
commonly accepted sense, for we have no school which offers
the full four year high school course or the full counts.

We are not, however, without schools teaching above the
eighth grade even for boys. Several parishes have more
advanced grades covering one or two or even three years, the
course offered being mainly commercial. Typical among these
is the school conducted by the Brothers of the Holy Cross in
the Cathedral parish of Fort Wayne, the course occupies three
years and offers English, Latin, Algebra, Bookkeeping, Sten-
ography, Typewriting, Commercial Law and of course Religious
Instruction.

514 Tie Diocese of Fort Wayne.

It is well to note that the young men who desire to follow
the classical or the scientific high school course, may do so
within the diocese at the colleges of Rensselaer and Notre
Dame, which conduct preparatory classes equivalent to those
of the high school.

In the matter of high schools for girls, the diocese is very
fortunate. At least eight schools offer a four-year course
comprising all the subjects taught in the best schools with the
sole exception in some places of Chemistry, which is replaced
by a sound course in Logic and Metaphysics.

Much good could be accomplished if the plan to standardize
all these high schools, which is now under serious consideration,
could be successfully carried out. A course is now being pre-
pared, which it is hoped will meet with hearty approval and
gradually be adopted.

Schools of Higher Learning. — In this respect the diocese of
P'ort Wayne is especially blessed. At St. Mary's-of-the-Lake
the Sisters of Holy Cross conduct a college for young women,
which is thoroughly modern and equipped with the necessary
botanical, physical and chemical laboratories. They offer the
full collegiate course, not to mention unexcelled facilities for
the study of art and painting, and vocal and instrumental
music.

At Collegeville there is an institution conducted by the
Fathers of the Precious Blood, which offers to our young men
at the most reasonable terms a four year classical or scientific
course, a four year normal course, a three year commercial
course, a course in civil engineering and Gerinan.

Finally we have at Notre Dame, Indiana, besides a college,
the crown of the educational system, a Catholic university
under the direction of the Fathers of the Holy Cross. This
great institution, with its fifty or more professors and instruc-
tors, is housed in magnificent buildings surrounded by spacious
grounds and gives to the students, who come to it from all
parts of the world, advanced courses in the following subjects:
Philosophy, Greek, Latin, English, Elocution and Oratory,
Ancient, Mediaeval and Modern History, Political and Social
Science, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Provencal,
Gaelic, German, Pure Mathematics, Applied Mathematics,
Astronomy, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering,

Education, Coniinued. 515

Architecture, Artistic Drawing, Mechanical Drawing, Chemistry,
Physics, Botany, Zoology, General Biology, Microscopy,
Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Bacteriology, Geology,
Pharmacy, Music, Evidences of Christianity, Journalism, Law
and Commerce and Telegraphy.

It is incorporated under the laws of the State of Indiana
and grants the Degrees of Doctor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts,
Bachelor of Letters, Bachelor of Philosophy, Degree of Civil
Engineer, of Mechanical Engineer, of Mechanical Engineer in
Electrical Engineering, Degree of Pharmaceutical Chemist, of
Bachelor of Laws and Degree of Graduate in Pharmacy.

Briefly summing up therefore, the Diocese of Fort Wayne
in its fifty years existence has walked far in respect to education,
in the path of solid progress. It has passed from the log house
school to the splendid modern edifice. It has passed from
three schools with a handful of teachers and nbout a hundred
and fifty pupils to one hundred institutions of learning with
four hundred and seventy five teachers and professors and
fifteen thousand seven hundred children. It has passed from
the teacher that merely happened to a great body of pious,
efficient and self-sacrificing men and women destined from
their infancy to their high calUng and leaving it only at the
bidding of the Angel of Death. It has established an effective
system of superintendence and supervision. It can take the
child at the age of six years and watch over his education for a
period of sixteen to twenty years. If at the end of the grammar
school course he is prevented from going further, he finds
himself reasonably equipped for his duties in life, as a good
Catholic and good American citizen. If he pursues his studies
through the high school, he enters life with a wide knowledge
of English literature, science and mathematics and the require-
ments of a good business training. If a professional career is
his choice, he will find at the Catholic University all the facilities
for achieving success and even distinction in his chosen pro-
fession.

Much of course remains to be done, but the history of the
past augurs well for the future and the Diocese of Fort Wayne
has every reason in this year of its Golden Jubilee to raise its
voice in thanksgiving to God, the Author of all light and
knowledge who has bestowed upon it His choicest blessings.

516 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

The members of the present School Board are: Rt. Rev.
Mgr. J. H. Oechtering, V. G., President; Rev. C. B. Guendhng,
Secretary; Revs. J. R. Dinnen, L. A. Moench, W. Berg, H. F.
Jos. KroU, A. J. Kroeger, J. H. Guendhng, E. J. Wrobel, E. F.
Barrett.

CHAPTER XXVII.

ADDENDA.

FORT WAYNE— ST. MARY'S CHURCH.

The handsome amount of 1 15,000 is being expended on
the thorough renovation and interior decoration of St. Mary's
Church in Fort Wayne. The frescoing is in light, deUcate
tints, blending from cream to bufT on ceiling and on walls from
cream to warm buff. The mouldings are treated in cream and
gold. Along the moulds are seen arabesque ornaments running
to the apex of ceiling, culminating in a fme Gothic center.
The sanctuary is exceptionally rich in turquoise blue of ceiling
and on the walls are two Gothic panels to match with windows;
below which all around the tapestry is of rich design. In the
sanctuary are the figures of two angels with trumpets: inscrip-
tion over the angel on the gospel side, being "Tu solus sanctus,"
and below the angel, "Gloria in excelsis;" the inscription above
the angel on the epistle side, "Tu solus Dominus," and below
the angel, "Te Deum laudamus." The side altars having been
thoroughly renovated have inscriptions over the Blessed
Virgin's altar, "Sancta Maria, ora pro nobis;" and over St.
Joseph's altar, "Sancte Joseph, ora pro nobis." Beneath these
inscriptions we find exquisite damask tapestry with gold orna-
mentations.

The base of the entire church to height of windows is
treated in a solid rich pattern. The shafts of the columns are
cream color, and the caps of columns are a very light shade
terra-cotta, high lighted with gold. The general effect of the
frescoing in light tones is to bring out the beautiful Gothic
arches in bold relief.

The panels of the transept ceiling contain eight figures of
heroic size: Abraham, Moses, David and Elias of the Old
Testament; and St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke and St. John,
the four Evangelists of the New Testament. The walls of the
transept have four large figures: the Archangels, St. Michael,
battling with Satan and St. Raphael, the guide of Tobias; and

518 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

two angels bearing scrolls with the inscription, "Ehre sei Gott
in der Hoehe," and "Friede den Menschen auf Erden." Back
of the main altar are seen two angels and the inscription
"Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus." We may add the entire orna-
mentation of the church is in true Gothic style and in chaste
effects.

The middle entrance has received three glass doors, the
the center one large, the other two smaller. The aisles are
covered with cork matting. The floor of the sanctuary is rich
mosaic. The principal feature of the sanctuary is a new
Carrara marble altar which, together with the Calvary group
entailed an outlay of |7,000. The electric light is also one of
the improvements, which with its very pretty Gothic fixtures
will do much toward bringing out in full view the various
ornamentations enumerated. The marble altar will be con-
secrated with becoming solemnities in October next.

Page 9, Foot-note: instead of Freedman, read Freeman's.

Page 121, in first line instead of o, read of.

This history is indebted to the Very Rev, Henry Drees,
C. PP. S., for valuable communications on the life of Bishop
Dwenger.

The Rev. Peter J. Quinn was transferred from Lagro to
St. Bridget's Church at Logansport, on July 13, 1907.

The Rev. William D. Sullivan was transferred from the
Cathedral to Lagro, on July 13, 1907.

The Rev. William Hoff was transferred from St. Joseph's
Church, Logansport to the Cathedral, on July 13, 1907.

The Rev. H. Hoerstman was appointed assistant at St.
Joseph's Church, Logansport, on July 13, 1907.

The Rev. Lawrence A. Eberle was transferred from Port-
land to Goshen, on July 27, 1907.

The Rev. Thomas J. Travers was transferred from Fair-
mount to Portland, on July 27, 1907. Fairmount was made a
mission to be attended from Marion. The Rev. Richard

Addenda, Concluded. 519

Wurth, O. F. M., pastor of St. Lawrence's Church, Lafayette,
was removed and in his stead the Rev. Sigismund Pirron,
O. F. M. was appointed, on July 27, 1907.

The Rev. Justine Welk, O. F. M. assistant at St. Boniface's
Church, Lafayette, was recalled and the Rev. Venantius
Stephan, O. F. M. was assigned on July 27, 1907.

Two building sites in the town of Gary were secured,
together with an option on a third site, intended for the erec-
tion of churches, etc. of as many prospective parishes.

The Rev. James M. Walsh.

He was born June 4, 1874, at Valparaiso, Indiana, in the
diocese of Fort Wayne. He made his classical studies at St.
Charles' near Baltimore, and at Sandwich, Ontario, Canada.
He was a student of the North-American College at Rome,
Italy, in philosophy and theology. Archbishop Ceppitelli of
Myra ordained him priest on February 18, 1900. Immediately
after his ordination he was appointed the assistant at St. Vin-
cent's Church in Logansport. Here he remained until the
summer of 1903 when on account of sickness he was obliged
to seek health in the climate of Colorado. At the present time
he is the chaplain of The Mercy Hospital in the city of Denver,
with Montclair for a mission.

The Rev. William James Quinlan departed this life at
Alton, Illinois, where he was visiting his sister, on August 5,
1907. The burial services and the interment of the remains
took place at Alton on August 9.

The mission at Rome City is now attended by the chaplain
of the Kneipp Sanitarium.

On July 25, 1907, the election held at St. Mary's Convent
at Notre Dame resulted as follows: Mother M. Perpetua,
Mother General; First Assistant, Mother M. Aquina; Second
Assistant, Mother M. Pauline; Stewardess, Mother M. Cyriaca;
and Mistress of Novices, Mother M. Barbara. They continue
in oifice for six years.

INDEX

PAGE

Abarth, O. F. M., Rev. Dionysius 68, 256

Abbink, O. S. F., Rev. Bernardine 68, 472, 489

Abbrederis, C. PP. S., Rev. Rudolph 259

Abel, Rev. Joseph 68,329,330,357,415,420,428

Adam, Rev" A 69, 240, 261

Aegidius, O. S. B., Rev 207

Albany 421

Albion 414

Aleile, Rev. A. M 205

Alerding, D.D., Right Rev. Herman Joseph. . .9, 53-59, 202, 203, 233, 310,

359, 361, 364, 400, 407, 425,
441,455, 461,482, 483, 486,
487, 496

Alexandria 380-382

Allouez, S. J., Rev. Claude 9, 10, 11, 69, 252, 295, 434

Altstaetter, O. F. M., Rev. Philibert 70, 258, 406

Amaud, C. S. C, Rev. A. E. St 262, 403

Anderson 279-281

Angermaier, Rev. George 70, 224

Areola 307-308

Arnold, O. F. M., Rev. Venantius 71, 256

Ashley, E 336

Attica 26, 46, 5 1 , 29 1-293

Auburn 336-337

Audran, Rev. E 20

Aveneau, S. J., Rev. Claude 10, 252, 295

Avilla 60, 202, 246-249

Bacquelin, Rev. Vincent 71, 279, 406

Badin, V. G., Very Rev. Stephen Theodore.. . . 17, 19, 24, 64, 65, 66, 68, 71,

200, 201, 204, 208, 213, 230,
246, 252, 311, 318, 354, 434

Bailey, Joseph 266

Bailey town 225, 234, 266

Baker, Rev. J 205

Baker, Rev. Joachim 72,328, 350, 351,359,381,382,383, 394,395

Ball, Owen 478

Baltimore, the vSee of 15, 21

Bardstown, the Diocese of 17, 22, 23

Barker, Hon. John H 487

Baroux, Rev. L 205

Barrett, Rev. Edward F 73, 376, 391, 392-516

Barrydale 333-335

Bartels, Rev. F 204

Index, Continued. 521

, PAGE

Bartosz, Rev. Simon 73 270 274

Bathe, Rev John Henry.. . .73, 207, 248, 269, 276, 287, 301, 302, 310, 327,
337,338,414

Bauer, Bernard 360

Baunigartner, Rev. Francis Xavier.. . .74, 206, 243, 299, 300, 332, 333, 356,

357,358,359

Baumgartner, C. PP. S., Rev. Frederick 74, 245

Bazin, D.D., Right Rev. John S 20, 27, 28

Becks, Rev. Julius 75,207, 209,221,223, 235, 236,237, 274,294,406,

410,412,458,481

Beine, O. F. M., Rev. Accursius 75, 205, 256, 258

Bemer, George 238

Benedictine Monks 20, 53

Benoit, V. G., Right Rev. Mgr. Julian. . .33, 34, 35, 57, 60-62, 202, 203, 204

207, 208, 220, 223, 239, 240, 242,
246, 261, 282, 295, 297, 311, 318,
403, 468, 475, 497, 500

Benzinger, Rev. Maximilian 75, 242, 311, 312, 417

Bequette, John 201

Berberich, O. F. M., Rev. Henry 76, 258

Berg, Rev. John B 76,309,346,377,381,410,412

Berg, Rev. William 76, 271, 273, 337, 338, 516

Besancon 60, 202, 239-241

Bessonies, V. G., Right Rev. Mgr. August 34, 77, 203, 205, 239, 318,

322, 406

Beyer, O. F. M., Rev. Augustine 77,410,412

Biedermann, Rev. John 77,238,239,332,411

Biegel, Rev. Balthasar 78, 360, 361, 380, 381, 407

Bilstein, Rev. F. Joseph 78, 260, 328, 359, 413, 418, 424

Birnbaum, C. PP. S., Rev. Sebastian 79, 275

Biro, C. S. C, Rev. Michael J 79, 396, 397

Bishop's House 203

Blanc, Rev. Anthony 17

Bleckmann, Rev. John 79, 80, 236, 237, 284, 285, 292, 305, 323, 382

Bleckmann, Rev. John H 80, 237

Bluett, Mrs. John 487

Bluffton 277, 414

Blum, Rev. John 80, 224, 255, 309, 326, 354, 355, 407, 410, 412

Boccard, Rev. Edward J 81, 238, 265, 284, 285, 336, 411

Boeckelmann, Rev. Plenry A 81,206,285,286,316,317,405,416

Boehm, Rev. Charles 396

Bogner, Louis 413

Boheme, Rev. — 201, 204

Bolka, Rev. Joseph 82, 363, 384, 385, 404

Borg, Rev. Bernard Theodore. . . .82, 206, 217, 228, 288, 309, 317, 339, 394,

407, 408, 472, 480, 489

Borck, Frank 246

Botti, Rev. Alexius 83, 261, 269, 275, 332, 333

522 The Diocese of Fort IVayne.

PAGE

Bourget, C. S. C, Rev. P. J 83, 253

Branimer, V. G., Very Rev. Joseph Henry 57, 83, 203, 205, 207, 318,

340,375,377

Brandt, Rev. Peter Leonard 406

Bremen 330,414

Broermann, O. F. M., Rev. Clementine 84, 258

Brothers of the Holy Cross. . .27, 202, 203, 218, 226, 254, 370, 430, 440, 513

Brunner, C. PP. vS., Very Rev. Francis de vSales 39, 443, 468, 469

Brute, D. D., Right Rev. Simon Gabriel 18, 19, 23, 24, 27, 28, 60, 202,

214,432,447

Buchanan, John 360

Buchheit, Rev. Adam M 84, 85, 222, 225, 227, 286, 287, 327, 329, 371,

406, 420

Budnik, Rev. Peter A 85, 329, 336, 397, 398, 400, 401, 415, 420, 428

Buechler, Rev. Alexander 86, 369, 370, 405

Bultinck, Leo 400

Bunker Hill 290, 426

Burns, Rev. — 220, 309, 404, 410, 412

Byrne, Rev. Michael J.- • -86, 206, 263, 326, 343, 374, 376, 377, 403, 427, 428

Cahil], Rev.' Thomas M 264, 292, 305, 306, 334

Callahan, Daniel 405

Campion, Rev. Matthew Elevart 86,206, 209,211,213,219,250,264,

285,301, 302,329

Cannon, Miss Julia 208

Cannon, Michael 90, 214

Capeder, C. PP. S., Rev. Peter Anthony 87, 290, 443

Carius, Rev. Francis Anthony 87, 202, 205, 213, 214, 216, 225, 243,

244, 259, 263

Carrier, C. S. C, Rev, J. C, 88,239,253,278,367,402

Carroll, D. D., Most Rev. John 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 71

Carroll, C. S. C, Rev. Thomas 88, 253, 277, 278

Cavanaugh, C. S. C, Rev. John 233, 434, 439

Chabrat, D. D., Right Rev. — 22

Chanijjourier, Rev. — 17, 18

Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, Mortuary 99, 248

Chardon, S. J., Rev. — 10

Chasse, Rev. John B * 53, 89, 205

Chatard, D. D., 'Right Rev. Francis Silas 55, 56

Chesterton 251, 266-268

Chicago, the Diocese of 20

Chickasaws 10

Cicero 406-407

Clark, Col. George R 13

Clark, Gen. John S 9

Clark, C. S. C, Rev. John W 89, 277, 279

Clark, Rev. Michael J 89, 204, 208, 213, 214, 215, 217, 218, 272, 279,

283, 285, 291, 322, 360, 407, 413, 427
Clark's Hill 409

Index, Continued. 523

PAGE

Cointet, C. S. C, Rev. Francis Louis 89, 225, 23 1 , 234, 250, 253, 268

Colfax 409

Columbia City 46, 60, 202, 281-282

Comparet, Francis 60, 68, 201, 246

C. PP. S 40, 245, 327, 363, 443, 514

Connelly, Rev. James F 90, 306, 345

Conroy, Rev. Thomas M 90,281,319,351,422,428

Cook, Rev. John 265, 391, 392

Coonej', C. S. C, Rev. Peter P 90, 253, 277, 279, 476

Coquillard, Alexius 255

Corby, C. S. C, Rev. William 91, 253, 279, 439, 497

Corcoran, Rev. John A 91,214

Covington 26, 46, 5 1 , 292, 304-305

Crawfordsville 272-273

Crawley, Rev. John B 91, 250, 279, 280, 323, 360, 380, 427

Crawley, Rev. Patrick J 91, 306, 317, 376

Crosson, Rev. Patrick Joseph 92, 211, 212, 213, 220, 264, 272, 294,

301,302,334,342,426

Crown Point 314-315

Crypt, of the Cathedral 203

Culver 422

Curley, C. S. C, Rev. J 268, 329

Czyzewski, C. S. C, Rev. Valentine 93, 351, 352, 353, 369, 393, 395

Dablon, S. J., Rev. Claude 10

Dahman, Rev. — 17

Dandurand, Rev. Frederick J 93, 207, 220, 241, 319, 336, 376

Daugherty, C. S. C, Rev. Samuel 93, 253

David, D. D., Right Rev. — 22

Davis, William B 478

Decatur 60, 202, 222-224

DeGroote, C S. C, Rev. John F 93,278,279

Dehner, Anthony 327, 328

Deimel, Rev. Francis X 94, 271, 287, 326, 337, 338

Deipenbrock, Rev. Francis 94, 247, 256, 297

Delaney, Rev. Joseph F 94, 206, 365, 375, 376, 388

Delphi ". 283-285

Demers, C. S. C, Rev. William 95, 240, 254, 261, 403

Dempsey, Rev. John 95, 264, 269, 272, 306, 325, 326, 334, 342, 413

Denk, Rev. Rudolph J 96, 228, 265, 276, 336, 414

Dentinger, C. PP. S., Rev. Martin L 96, 245, 351

Deschamp, Rev. Francis 96, 261, 297, 298

Devery, Kvram ^29

Dhe, Rev. Charles F 96, 207, 241, 365, 366, 383, 408

Dick, C. PP. S., Rev. Anthony 97,245,291,364

Dickerson, Gideon 239

Dickmann, C. PP. S., Rev. Bernard 97, 364

Didion. P 291

524 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

PAGE

Dinnen, Rev. John R 97, 206, 219, 220, 272, 294, 306, 334, 342, 347,

409,410,425, 516

Dinneen, William 415

Dirkes, Henry 224

Dodone, Joseph 239

DoUerwick, George 367

Dowd, C. PP. S., Rev. Robert Stephen Ambrose 98, 262, 403

Doyle, Rev. Philip 255, 256

Doyle, Rev. William 98,213,214,245,263,283,285,288,323

Drees, C. PP. S., Very Rev. Henry 446

Dresch, Rev. — 243

Driscoll, John 326

Duehmig, Rev. Dominic. . .98, 247, 248, 286, 297, 311, 312, 405, 414, 415,

416,421,472,489

Dujaunay, S. J., Rev. — 11

Dimkirk 382-384

Dunnington 346-348

vSt. Michael's 347

St. Columbkill's 347

Holy Trinity 347

Durham, Rev. James H 99, 376

Durham, Rev. John P 100, 207, 263, 427, 428

Duvernay, S. J., Rev. Julian 11

Dwenger, D. D., Right Rev. Joseph 38-45, 48, 57, 61, 62, 202, 209, 216,

228, 229, 232, 245, 247, 250, 260,
289, 313, 320, 323, 325, 336, 337,
340, 342, 344, 350, 355, 356, 357,
360, 367, 370, 375, 414, 415, 417,
444, 445, 446, 455, 460, 465, 471,
472, 480, 493, 495, 497, 501, 513

Dwyer, Patrick 301

I^yer 309-311

Dyszkiawicz, Anthony 418

Earl Park 358-359

East Chicago, Holy Trinity 389, 426

St. Mary's 373-374

St. Michael's 384

St. Stanislaus' 384-385

Eberle, Rev. Lawrence A 100, 224, 234, 350, 351, 422

Eck, John 3^5

Edtler, Prof. Francis 215

E^e 297-298

Ege, Rev. Francis X lOO, 287, 298, 328

Eich, Joseph 281

Eisenring, C. PP. S., Rev. Joseoh A. Thomas. ...... . . . . 101, 207, 458, 482

E^kh^^^ 316-317

Ellermg, Rev. Anthony M 101, 237, 282, 409, 416

^^^ood 360-362

Index, Continued. 525

, PAGE

Enright, Timothy 414

Eudists J9

Everhardy, John 247

Exel, C. S. C., Rev. C 253

Fairmount 394-395

Faller, Rev. Edward M 102, 202, 205, 220, 223, 227, 228, 229, 237, 242,

244,246,281,403,411

Falley, James B 478

Fallize, C. S. C, Rev. Michael Philip 102, 254, 255, 402

Falvey, M. D 312

Fangmann, O. F. M., Rev. Gregory 103, 258

Fathers of the Holy Cross 27,249,252,295,297,429,514

Faust, Rev. Francis P 103, 222, 298, 336

Felden, Rev. Norbert 102, 332

Ferneding, Rev. — 19

Finerty, M 417

Fischer, O. F. M., Rev. Agnellus 104, 256

Fischer, Rev. Francis 213, 214, 225, 243

Fittich, George 223

Fitzgibbon, Thomas 208

Fitz-Maurice, Rev. — 279, 323, 360

Fitzpatrick, Rev. James B 104, 207, 286, 416

Flach, Rev. Joseph 104, 243, 310, 333, 472, 489

Flaget, D. D., Right Rev. Benedict Joseph 16, 18, 19, 22, 23, 67, 72

Fleisch, C. PP. S., Rev. George 105, 260, 290, 350, 351, 363, 428

Flynn, Rev. John 105, 266, 267

Flynn, C. S. C., Rev. Thomas 105, 231, 234, 253

Follmar, P. A 260

Force, Rev. Bernard Joseph 105, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217, 225, 226, 231,

234, 245, 250, 253, 264, 288, 339, 426

Force, Rev. John Herman 106, 242, 269, 332, 333

Force, Miss Mary 215

Ford, Rev. Michael J 106, 264, 265, 281, 335, 345

Fort Wayne 26, 66, 67, 68

Cathedral 201-207

Most Precious Blood 390-391

St. Augustine's 202, 203, 227, 228

St. Mary's 46,63,227-230,517

St. Patrick's 374-376

St. Paul's 302-304

St. Peter's 330-332

Foucher, Rev. Anthony 10

Fourmont, C. S. C, Rev. A 231

Fowler 341-344

St. John the Evangelist's 342

Francais, C. S. C., Very Rev. Gilbert 442

Franciscus, C. S. C, Rev. Peter J 107, 261, 403

Francisville 309, 410

526 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

PAGE

Francois, Rev. John Claudius 107, 202, 204, 21 1, 212, 217, 279

Frankfort 354-355

Franzen, Rev. Peter 107, 282, 298, 402, 406, 417

Frawley, Rev. P. M 206, 217, 285, 317, 339, 365

Frere, C. S. C, Rev. Julius 107, 253, 261

Frericks, C. PP. S., Rev. John • 108, 245, 259, 363, 406, 418

Freund, Rev. F. f 243, 310

Fritz, C. PP. S„ Rev. Erhard 108, 245, 246, 260

Froelich, F. T ^^'^

Fuchs, Rev. Frederick 108, 221, 237, 282, 287, 411

Fuerst, Rev. — 243

Gage, Gen., his proclamation 12, 14

Ganther, C. PP. S., Rev. vSebastian 108, 223, 472, 489

Ganzer, Rev. Charles A 108, 206, 228, 287, 299, 300, 327

Garrett 348-349

Gas City 379-380

Gausepohl, O. F. M., Rev. William 109, 256, 258, 283, 285

Geers, Rev. August William 109, 222, 242, 298

Geisen, Matthias 270

Geiser, John 246

Gelting, O. F. M., Rev. Samuel 109, 258, 354

Geneva 351,422

Gibault, Rev. Peter 12, 13, 14

Giedl, Rev. Wolfgang N 109, 419, 424

Gietl, C. PP. vS,, Rev. Andrew 110, 419, 424

Gigandet, F. V 350

Gillen, C. S. C, Rev. Paul 110, 234, 266, 269, 329, 332, 333

Girardnt, Gabriel 297

Gleeson, C. S. C, Rev. James 255, 402

Gleeson, Rev. P.J 47

Goodland 359-360

Gordon, George P 376

Goshen 60, 202, 285-286

Gottbehoede, O. F. M., Rev. Lucas 1 10, 257

Gouesse, C. S. C, Rev. J 231

Grady, Patrick 423

Graf, C. PP. S., Rev. Felix 110, 290

Graham, Rev. Joseph 205, 318

Granger, C. S. C, Rev. Ale.\ius 231, 234, 253, 285

Gravier, S. J., Rev. James 10, 252

Grevin, Rev. — 239, 261,275

Grifiin, Michael 404

Grogan, Rev. John. .110,205,209, 250, 288, 317, 319,339,347,365, 394,427

Grube, William : 419

Gruse, Roman 371

Grussi, C. PP. S., Rev. Alphonse Ill, 363, 419, 420

Gueguen, Rev. John 323, 406

Guendling, Rev. Charles B , Ill, 207, 240, 407, 479, 516

Index, Continued. 527

PAGE

Guendling, Rev. John H 57, 111, 207, 215, 217, 233, 238,302, 361,

395,424,479,485, 516

Guethoff, Rev. Philip 112, 238, 314, 315,411

Hack, John 225, 226

Hafertepe, O F. M., Rev. Angelus 112, 354

Hagerty, C. vS. C, Rev. Denis J 113, 254, 265, 277, 279

Hailandiere, D. D., Right Rev. Celestine de la 19, 20, 26, 27, 28, 202,

217, 432, 433, 448

Hallinan, V. G., A'ery Rev. Michael Mary 113, 205, 219, 220, 302

Hamilton, Rev. George A 113, 211, 213, 214, 218, 264, 269,283,285,

288, 300, 312, 325, 354, 403, 410, 478

Hamion, Rev. Joseph de Mutzig 1 14, 202, 204, 223, 241, 242

Hamlet 330, 420

Hammer, O. F. M., Rev. Bonaventure 114, 258

Hammond, All vSaints' 391-392

St. Adalbert's 397-398

St. Casimir's 372-373

vSt. John the Baptist's 388-389

St. Joseph's 355-358

Hanly, Rev. Michael 209, 217,288,339

Hanover Centre 270-272, 288

St. Matthias' 270

Hartford City 365-366

Hartlang, C. S. C, Rev. P 253

Hartmann, Rev. Bartholomew 114, 307, 319,478,479

Hartnett, Rev. James M 114, 206

Heffner, C. PP. S., Rev. Juhus 1 15, 291

Heile, O. F. M., Rev. Daniel 1 15, 256

Heitmann, Rev. Anthony Herman 115, 225, 258, 354

Heitz, C. PP. S., Rev. Joseph 351

Helferich, O. S. B., Rev. Maurice 248

Hellhake, Rev. Henry A 116, 276, 282, 306, 346, 408, 414, 415

Hemsteger, Rev. J. B 262

Henneberger, Rev. Anthony 116, 293, 341, 343

Hennemann, O. S. B., Rev. Aegidius. 314

Hesse Cassel 60, 202, 241-243

Hibbelen, Rev. Theodore 116, 206, 318, 458, 481

Hickey, John 281,452,484

Hickmann, Rev. — 307

Hobart 332-333

Hoelscher, O. F. M., Rev. Hilary 1 17, 257

Hoerstmann, Rev. Henry A 117, 322

Hoff, Rev. William 117, 322

Hoffman, O. F. M., Rev. Stephen 410, 412

Hogan, Rev. William S 117, 269, 270, 286, 306, 383, 422, 423

Hohman, Mrs. Caroline 356

Holtel, O. F. M., Rev. Nicholas 118, 25&

Holy Trinity 290-291

528 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

PAGE

Holz, Rev. Frederick 286, 402, 416

Homes for the Aged Poor, Old People's, Avilla 248, 489

St. Anthony's, Lafayette 490

Hordeman, Rev. William B 118, 222, 354, 407

Horn, Francis G 216

Horstmann, Rev. George H 118, 237, 309, 346, 410, 412

Hospitals, Holy Family, I.aporte 48.5

Kneipp Sanitarium, Rome City 486

Sacred Heart, Garrett 486

St. Ann's, Peru 488

St. Anthony's, Michigan City 487

St. Elisabeth's, Lafayette 482

St. John's, Anderson 484

St. Joseph's, Fort Wayne 481

St. Joseph's, Logansport 483

St. Joseph's, South Bend 482

St. Margaret's, Hammond 484

St. Roch's Sanitarium, Fort Wayne 485

Hoss, Rev. John 119,312,319,328,358,359,472,489

Hottenroth, Rev. Gustave 1 19, 228

Houlihan, Rev. Edward J 119, 220, 265, 403

Howe, Mrs. Rose 267

Hudson, C. S. C, Rev. Daniel E 440

Huelsmann, O. F. M., Rev. Eberhard 120, 258

Hueser, D. D., Rev. John Herman 120, 221, 242

Hughes, John 296

Hummer, C. PP. S., Rev. Chrysostom 121, 391

Huncheon, Patrick and Richard 406

Huntington 60, 67, 202, 208

St. Mary's 387-388

SS Peter and Paul's 220-222

Huot, Rev. Z 325

Indiana Harbor, St. John Cantius' 400-401

St. Patrick's 398-399

Indian Creek 244, 245

Ivory, Patrick 300

Iwaszewski, C. S. C, Rev. Boniface 121, 353

Jagemann, Rev. Joseph - 121, 222, 234

Jakob, C. PP. S., Rev. Edward 329, 364, 371, 406, 420

Jansen, Rev. Francis J 122, 220, 317, 354, 355, 407

Jansen, Rev. Thomas Francis 122, 237, 243, 333

Jarzynski, C. S. C, Rev. Theodore 123, 353, 393

Jay, bigotry of John 15

Johannes, C. S. C, Rev .Peter 123, 367, 368

Joliet, Louis 9, 10

Joos, Rev. J 386

Joy, Rev. M 220, 264, 317

Jungblut, Rev. L . . . ' 234

Index, Continued. 529

, PAGE

Juraschek, Rev. Herman 123, 237, 267 417

Just, C. S. C, Rev. Alphonse 124 387

Kaeder, O. S. B., Rev. Maurice 124, 243, 314

Kahellek, Rev. Peter Aloysius 125, 363, 372, 384, 397, 404, 419,428

Kappel, Rev. Henry C. . . 125, 294, 296, 307, 329, 345, 357, 374, 394

395,409,415,420,428

Kasprzykowski, Rev. John 125, 378,

Keller, Rev. John C 126, 217, 234, 312, 405, 416

Keller, Louis and Jacob 363

Keller, Martin 256

Kelly, Rev. G. M 209, 265

Kelly, Rev. John 285, 288, 394, 413

Kelly, Rev. Michael F 126, 206, 209, 264, 306, 317, 346, 365, 426

Kendallville 246, 311-312

Kentland 298-300

Ketchmark, Mr. — 412

Kewanna 263-265

Keyser, Rev. Charles Frederick 126, 225, 317, 327, 358, 363, 404

Kilroy, D. D., Rev. Edward B 127,218,225,231,234,235,250,266,

269, 293, 305, 334, 409

King, Rev. Anthony 309, 310, 410, 412

King, Rev. Francis A 127,206,213,263,286,305,359,427,483

Kink, Rev. Martin 128, 221, 242, 245, 276, 287

Kinney, Mary 215

Kinney, M. J 417

Kirsch, C. S. C, Rev. Alexander 369

Klaas Brothers 287

Klaasville 287-288

Klein, C. S. C, Rev. Peter P 128, 387

Klighe, William 356

Knights of Columbus 480

Kniman ... 327,424

Knorzer, John L ^^56

Knox. . . .' 330, 428

Kobylinski, Rev. Casimir 363, 372, 384, 418

Koch, Rev. Francis J 129, 328, 357

Koehne, Rev. Henry 129, 320, 321, 322

Koenig, Miss Clementine 303

Koenig, Rev. Edward 130, 205, 303, 304, 457, 497, 500

Koenig, Rev. Frederick 130, 243, 327, 419, 424

Koenig, Rev. Henry 130, 225, 231. 245, 259, 312, 316

Koerdt, Rev. Ferdinand 131, 276, 330, 414, 500

Kohl, Rev. John F 132, 345

Kokomo. ..'. 288-290

Kolesinski, Rev. George 132, 353, 369

Kolopp, C. S. C, Rev. Paul 132, 367

Koncz, Rev. P 267, 335, 351

Konen, Rev. N. Y 274

530 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

PAGE

Koslowski, Rev. F ^"^74

Kouts -ilS

Kramer, Gustave -560

Kreke, O. F. M., Rev. Marcus 133, 258, 406

Kroeger, Rev. Anthony J- H 133, 206, 209, 286, 322, 340, 341,

405,416,466,516

Kroeger, Rev. Bernard 133, 205, 208, 214, 215, 216, 217, 245, 264,

288, 301, 302, 339, 344, 345, 394, 407, 413,
424 426, 478

Kroeger, Rev. William 134, 316, 317

Kroll, Rev. H. F. Joseph 134, 267, 268, 304, 329, 377, 516

Krull, C. PP. S., Rev. Herman Virgilius 135, 300, 313

Kubacki, Rev. John F 135, 309, 363, 384, 404, 410, 412, 428

Kueng, Rev. Godfrey 136, 3^7, 338

Kmikel, Rev. Charles 312

Kxmkler, C. PP. S., Rev. Andrew 39, 41, 223

Kunkler, C. PP. S., Rev. Seraphine 136, 222, 291

Kurtz, O. F. M., Rev. Aloysius 136, 354

I.abonie, Rev. Francis X : 136, 207, 240, 294, 317

Ladoga 413

Lafayette, vSt. Ann's 218, 325-326

St. Boniface's 255-259

St. Lawrence's 385-386

St. Mary's 46, 217-220

vSS. Mary and Martha's 218

Soldiers Home 326

Lafontaine, Rev. Albert E 137, 207, 262, 403, 491, 503

Lafontaine Francis, Indian Chief 61, 220

Lagro 60, 202, 208-210

Lake Station 333

Lalumiere, Rev. Simon P 18, 19, 26, 137, 201, 204, 217, 246, 311

Lambert, Rev. Francis J 138, 238, 328, 347, 348, 411

Lamoor, Rev. Lawrence 138„205, 215, 216, 217, 262, 288, 323, 339,

365,382,407

Lamorinie, S. J., Rev. — 11

Lang, Rev. John F 138, 206, 267, 294, 342, 347

Laporte, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary 249

St. Joseph's ; 63, 273-274

St. Peter's. . . 249-252

Lasher, Rev. J. P 351, 422

Lauer, Rev. George 139, 207, 248, 312, 357, 373, 374, 405, 416

Lauth, C. S. C, Rev. Jacob 139, 262, 403

Lauth, C. S. C, Rev. John 139, 261, 279, 403

Lauth, C. S. C, Rev. Michael 353, 369

Lauth, C. S. C, Kev. Peter 140, 254, 255, 279

Laux, C. PP. S., Rev. Alphonse 140

Lawler, Rev. Francis 213, 250, 266, 267, 408, 415

Index, Continued. 531

• PAGE

Lebanon 305-306

St. Charles and St. Joachim's 305

Lemonnier, C. S. C, Rev. Augustine 140, 253, 435

Lemper, Rev. Charles 140, 292, 293, 296 305

Lentz, Rev. F. G 141, 305, 339, 340, 341, 374, 407, 465

I^eo 262, 402-403

L'Ktourneau, C. S. C, Rev. Louis J 141, 253, 254

Levermann, O. vS. B., Rev. Piriminius 314

Leveque, C. S. C, Rev. Zephirinus 141, 253, 269

Ley, Rev. Edmund Aloysius 141, 281

Library Hall 203

Ligonier 405

Linder, C. PP. S., Rev. Leopold 142, 220, 313

Lingemann, O F. M., Rev. Athanasius 142, 258

Logansport 26, 28, 66, 67, 202

St. Bridget's 344-345

St. Joseph's 320-322

St. Vincent de Paul's 211-213

Lordemann, Rev. Francis 142, 288, 289, 339, 354, 355, 407, 427

Lottaville 243-244

Lotz, O. F. M., Rev. Francis de Paul 142, 257

Louen, Rev. Michael P 143, 234, 261, 262, 344, 403

Louisville, diocese of 23

Lowell 326-327

Luce, Jacob 230

Lucerne 403-404

Luers, D. D,, Right Rev. John Henry 30-37, 46, 57, 61, 202, 209, 214,

228, 231, 235, 236, 256, 282, 284,
287,292,295,302,303,305,311,
315, 326, 355, 356, 364, 403, 407,
413, 455, 457, 475, 476, 477, 478,
480, 491, 492

Lynn, Rev. Joseph A 143, 217, 220

Lyons, Patrick 371

Mcarleray, Rev. P. Jean 205

McCabe, Rev. Charles E 143, 220, 334, 380, 425

McCarthy, Jerry 418

McCarthy, O. S. B., Rev. Meinrad 144, 294, 334, 342, 347

McClare, Rev. — 262

McDermott, Rev. Patrick 144, 208, 213, 214, 244, 406

McDonald, Patrick 427

McGarry, C. S. C, D. D., Rev. Moses A 144, 200

McGregor, William D 90, 214

Machdzicki, C. R., Rev. Ludwig 335, 336, 351, 369, 473

McMahon, Rev. John 145, 262, 279, 283, 285, 308, 309, 323, 360, 404,

409, 410, 412, 427

Madden, Rev. P.J 205, 307

Mager, C. S. C, Rev. B 231,234

532 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

PAGE

Malin, C. PP. S., Rev. Alovsius 145, .351

Maloney, Rev. Daniel 218, 283, 285, 288, 322, 323, 360, 406, 427

Marciniak, C. S. C, Rev. Roman A 145, 353, 393

Marion 317-318

Marion Branch National Soldiers' Home 379, 380

Mark, Rev. John A 146, 242, 292, 305, 483

Marquette, S. J., Rev. James - 9, 434

Marshall, Rev. Joseph A 323

Martin, D. D., Right Rev. August Mary 146, 205, 212, 214, 217

Masterson, C. S. C, Rev. W 231

Matthews 428

Mattingly, Francis 340

Maujay, Rev. Constantine 146, 206, 220, 240, 261, 342, 343, 351,

358,421,422,423,428

Mayer, C. S. C, Rev. F 226

Mayer, Rev. Jacob 205, 213, 221, 223, 225, 237, 242, 243, 276, 320,

322,411,476

Medarvville 309, 412

Meier, O. F. M., Rev. Dominic 147, 292, 308, 309, 4!0, 412

Meih, Rev. A. M 147, 220, 276, 318, 322

Meissner, Rev. Henry 147, 214, 216, 217, 243, 248, 260, 286, 309, 314,

315,337,405,416,497,500

Mellane, John 332

Mermet, S. J., Rev. — 10, 11

Messmann, Rev. Anthony 148, 274, 299, 300, 309, 327, 328, 330, 331,

345, 346, 358, 359

Mettler, Peter 282, 303

Meurin, S J., Rev. Sebastian I.ouis 11

Meyer, C. PP. S., Rev. Charles 149, 300

Meyer, C. PP. S., Rev. J. Thomas 149, 364

Meyer, C. PP. S., Rev. Julian 149, 245

Meyer, C. PP. S., Rev. Robert 222

Miami, Fort 10

Miamis 10,62

Michigan City, St. Ambrose's 234, 235

St. Mary's 234-237

St. Stanislaus' 378

Miettinger, Rev. G 402

Mignault, Rev. A 240

Miller, C. S. C, Rev. L. J 403

Miller, Rev. William Caspar 6, 149, 207, 237, 248

Miller, Rev. William Conrad . 150, 222, 238, 294, 299, 300, 307, 334,

359 409,411

Miller, Thomas 215

Millersburg 286, 416

Mishavvaka, Tloly Angels' 230

St. Bavo's 399-400

St. Joseph's. . 230-234

Index, Continued. 533

PAGE

Misler, C. PP. S., Rev. J. Otto 151, 313, 351

Moench, Rev. Louis A 151, 206, 228, 233, 248, 269, 270, 296, 306,

405, 413,516

Molengraft, O. K. M., Rev. I,eo 151, 354

Monroeville 318-319

Montaubricq, Rev. A. de 239

Monterey 245, 259-260

Montpelier 407

Morocco 360,424

Moroney, James 267

Morrissey, C. S. C, D. D., \'ery Rev. Andrew J 232, 388, 439, 442

Mougin, Rev. Charles J 220, 264, 272, 288, 339, 394, 403, 413

Mueller, C. PP. S., Rev. Alphonse 327, 420, 425

Mueller, Rev. Louis 202, 204, 222, 246, 311

Mueller, Prof. Rudolph Ladislaus 215

Mulcahy, Rev. Denis J 151, 220, 264, 265, 280, 306, 484

Mulligan, Kdward 230

Muncie 60, 322-325

Mungovan, Rev. Edward J 152, 307, 376, 409

Mungovan, Rev. Thomas A 152, 376, 398

Munich, C. PP. S., Rev. Vincent 418

Murschina, Rev. Alphonse 153, 202, 205. 223, 242, 246, 311

Murphy, John 339

Murphy, Rev. P 213

Murphy, Thomas 277

Mutch, Rev. F. Joseph 1 53, 220

Mutch, Peter 322

Nageleisen, C. PP. S., Rev. John A 153, 290, 351

Neale, D. D., Right Rev. — 21

Neiberg, C. PP. S., Rev. Stanislaus 153, 364

Nerinckx, Rev. — 17

Neuber, Rev. — 256, 285

New France 202, 239, 240, 261

New Haven 60, 202, 274-276

Neyron, Rev. Louis 62, 253

Niehaus, O. F. M., Rev. Pius 154, 256, 258

Nigh, Rev. Francis Xavier 154, 245, 259, 264, 270, 287

Nigsch, C. PP. S., Rev. Frank 154, 390, 391, 446

Nigsh, C. PP. S., Rev. Christian 155, 260, 313, 406

Nix, Jacob 237

Nix Settlement 237-239

Noll, Rev. John F 155, 241, 312, 317, 345, 366, 405, 408, 416

Noll, Rev. Martin F 155, 219, 262, 286, 317, 365, 383, 427

North Judson 362-363

Notheis, C. PP S., Rev. Charles 156, 364

Notre Dame, Sacred Heart Church 200, 201

Nurre, O. F. M., Rev. Leonard 156, 257, 258

Nussbaum, Pev. Joseph 156, 223, 242, 274, 276

534 The Diocese of Fori Wayne.

PAGE

Oberholz, Rev. John 157, 217, 237, 371, 406

Oechtering, Rev. August Bernard 35, 157, 231, 232, 233, 247, 253, 284,

285,28^,297, 311, 312, 316, 354, 381,

399,416,500
Oechtering, V. G., Right Rev. Mgr. John H. . 63, 228, 229, 232, 238, 274,

316, 335, 497, 500, 516

O'Brien, Rev. J. H 217, 264, 288, 339, 403, 406

O'Callaghan, Rev. C.J 294, 334

O'Connell, Rev. PhiUp 213, 244

O'Connor, O. S. B., V. G., Very Rev. Bede 413

O'Connor, Timothy 345

O'Donnell, Hon. Patrick 426

O' Doyle, John 332

O'Flaherty, Rev. Edward 158, 272, 273, 291, 292, 304, 305, 354, 409

O'Flannigan, Rev. Michael C 208

Oldegeering, O. F. M., Rev. Bede 158, 258

O'Leary, Ignatius 354

O'Leary, Rev. Thomas M 158, 206, 375

OHvier, Rev. Donatian 17

Olszewski, Rev. Casimir 396

O'Mahoney, C. S. C, Rev. William 279

O'Neil, William P : 234

O'Neill, C. S. C, Rev. .\rthur Barry 429

O'Reilly, Rev. Michael 159, 267, 269, 332, 333, 371, 418, 497, 500

O'Reilly, Rev. Peter J 159, 207, 220, 354, 355, 407

Ormand, John 332

O'Rourke, Rev. W. F. M 205, 267

Orphan Asylums 42, 43, 475-480

O'Sullivan, Rev. Timothy 250, 251, 267, 284, 285, 329, 413

Otis 63, 335-336

Otterbein 335, 425

Ouia tenon Fort 11

Ouiatenons 10

Oxford 293-294

Paanakker, C. S. C, Rev. Henry A 159, 386, 387

Pasque — 210

Paquet, Rev. Louis Raphael 160, 207, 281, 319, 325, 350, 351, 394,

422, 428, 480

Paulovits, Rev. Robert 396

Payet, Rev. — 14

Peru 67^ 213-217

Petit, Rev. Benjamin Mary 160, 161 252, 295, 434

Philhps, Mrs. — 233

Pichon, Alexander 261

Picot, Rev. L 18, 201, 204

Pierceton 208, 308, 408

Pier Settlement 262

Pilgrimage, first American 45

Index, Continued. 535

• PAGE

Pinkers, Rev. — 256

Plaster, Rev. Henry M 161, 292, 305, 356, 357, 373

Plymouth 295-297

Poitier, vS. J., Rev. — 11

Portland 350-35 1

Pottawottamies 10, 67, 252, 295

Powers, will of • 292

Pratt, Rev. Robert J 161, 220, 301, 302, 307, 409

Preis, Sr. Joseph 405

Prendergast, C. S. C, Rev. M 231

Prison, Michigan City State 237

Pulaski 244-246

vSt. Ann's 244

St. Francis of Assissi 244

Purcell, D. D., Most Rev. John B 19, 23, 30, 31, 32, 34, 37, 39, 41, 64,

443, 448

Putter, S. J., Rev. V 206

Quante, Bernard 328

Quebec Act 12

Quebec, the Diocese of 10, 12, 13, 15

Ouinlan, Rev. Jeremiah E... .209,263,285,286,316,317,383,423,427,428

Quinlan, Rev. John R 162, 206, 207, 262, 387

Quinlan, Rev. William J 162,206,240,273,307,317,318,409,413

Quinn, Rev. Peter Joseph 163, 209, 210, 220

Rachor, Rev. Balthasar 163, 225, 287

Raczynski, C. S. C, Rev. Eligius 163, 353, 395

Rademacher, U. P., Pight Rev. Joseph 44, 45, 46-52, 57, 202, 205,

219, 228, 229, 232, 238, 245,
257, 260, 280, 282, 289, 292,
293,304,305,318,320,323,
325, 327, 338, 343, 349, 357,
365,371,377,381,382,385,
387, 388, 390, 405, 407, 408,
415, 420, 446, 455, 460, 495,
497, 500, 503

Rajcany, Rev. Benedict M 164, 388, 389, 426

Raszkiewicz, Rev. IVban 164, 335, 336, 372

Rech, Rev. John 371, 406

Red Key ■^^■^' ^23

Reichert, C. PP. S., Rev. August 164, 245, 313

Remington 345-346

Renson, Rev. Henry 165, 270, 287, 478

Rensselaer 364-365

Renter, C. PP. S., Rev. Paul " 165, 290, 350, 351

Reynolds 308-309

Richmond, John ^^^

Ringele, C. PP. S., Rev. Jacob 165, 290, 443

Ringle, Peter ^^^

536 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

PAGE

Rink, Jacob 416

Ritter, Rev. John 314

Rivet, Rev. John Francis 16, 17

Roanoke "^^^

Robinson, C. S. C, Rev. M 207, 403

Roche, C. S. C, Rev. Bonnet 165, 206, 261, 402

Roche, Miss Bridget. .... 388

Roche, Rev. Patrick F 166, 203, 206, 207, 209, 220, 325, 326

Rochester "^13

Roettgen, Hilary 271

Rolling Prairie 421

Rome City 246, 421

Roir.er, C. PP. S., Rev. Charles M 166, 206, 228, 237, 2S4, 285

Rooney, C. S. C, Rev. Michael P 166, 225, 231, 234, 250

Rosati, D, D., Right Rev. Joseph 18, 19, 23, 26, 464

Rosenbaucr, C. SS. R., Rev. Charles 337, 357

Roth, Rev. H. M 243, 333

Rothmann, O. F. M., Rev. Philip 167, 258, 356, 357

Royal Centre 427

Rudolph, Rev. Joseph 167, 202, 205, 223, 242, 246

Ruff, C. PP. S., Rev. Engelbert 167, 290

Ruff, Rev. Felix Matthew 26, 202, 201, 214

Ruiz, Rev. F. M 239

Ryan, Rev. John 208, 210, 220, 300, 301, 302, 306, 365, 394, 408, 415

Sailer, O. F. M., Rev. Stephen 167, 258

vSt. Anthony's 327-328

St. Cyr, Rev. J.M.J 19, 24

St. John 224-227

HI. Kreuz Auft'indung's Kirche 225

St. Mary's, Adams County 417

vSt. Palais, D. D., Right Rev. Maurice de..20, 28, 32, 53, 54, 208, 212, 213,

214, 226, 228, 234, 239, 247, 255,
284, 448

St. Vincent 261-262

v^alle, Sieur de la 9, 10

Sand, Rev. John 168, 2 1 7, 357

San Pierre 7>6?>, 404

Sasse, O. F. M., Rev. Matthias 168, 258, 385, 386

Schaefer, O. F. M., Rev. Francis S 168, 309, 410, 412

Schaefer, Rev. Henry Vincent 168, 237, 238, 247, 282, 286, 297, 307,

405,408,411,415

Schaefer, O. F. M., Rev. Maximilian 169, 265

Schalk, C. PP. S., Rev. Francis X 169, 245, 527, 364, 119

vSchalk, C. PP. S., Rev. Frederick 170, 300

Schaudel, John Matthias 417

Schell, O. F. M., Rev. Leander 170, 258

Schenk, John 215

Scherer, C. S. C, Rev. Joseph M 170, 368

Index, Continued. 537

• PAGE

Scherer, Nicholas 337

Schererville 337-339

v^diill, C. PP. S., Rev. Killian 170, 313

Schilling, C. S. C, Rev. Christian 225, 231, 234, 243, 250

Schimniels 371, 405-406

J^chippert, Rev. .\ 171, 220, 237, 411

Schirack, C. PP. S., Rev. Lawrence J 171, 313

Schirack', C. PP. S., Rev Valentine Michael 171, 313

Schinaus, C. PP. S., Rev. Raphael 171, 245

vSchmidt, Rev. William George 172, 323, 324, 365

Schmitt, John H 298

Schmitt, Rev. Peter 172, 234, 2%, 305, 307, 409, 417

Schmitz, Rev. John M 172, 248, 325, 336, 337

Schmitz, Rev. Matthew Jacob 173, 243, 309, 310

vSchneider, C. PP. S., Rev. Conrad 173, 259

Schneider, Rev. L 223, 242

Schoch, C. PP. S., Rev. Theobald 173, 245, 259, 313

Schramm, Rev. George M 173, 207, 237, 250, 309, 410, 412

Schroeder, O. F. M., Rev. John Baptist 174, 309, 346

vSchueckmann, Nicholas 275

Schueley, C. PP. S., Rev. Rochus 174, 290

Schultes, Rev. B. H 223, 242

Schuster, O. F. M., Rev. Gaudentius 174, 258

Seeberger, C. PP. S., Rev. Cosmas 175, 23S, 245, 259, 351, 411, 444

Seifert, C. PP. S., Rev. Augustine 175, 351, 445

Seille, Rev. Louis de 24, 25, 67, 175, 252, 399, 434, 435

Seimetz, Rev. Julius 177, 217, 309, 410, 412

vSeroczynski, Rev. FelLx Thomas 177, 220, 363, 398, 404

Shea, Rev. F. C 357

Shea, C. S. C, Rev. John J 402

Shell, James 339, 340

Sheldon 276-277

Shelhammer, Hev. — 262

Sheon, Rev. — 262

Sherer, Rev. Martin 178, 225, 235, 274, 287, 405, 406

Sheridan, James 291

Shortis, C. S. C, Rev. Richard A 178, 231, 234, 250, 253

Shunk, C. PP. S., Rev. Dominic 178, 329, 3h?,, 370, 404, 406, 418,

419, 420, 444

Siegelack, Rev. Francis J 179, 205, 271, 287, 295, 408

Siegrist, Rev. Simon 179, 288, 323, 339, 406

Sisters, Felician Sisters of St. Francis, Detroit, Mich 336, 472

Franciscan, of the Sacred Heart, JoUet, Ills. . . .242, 247, 248, 298,

310, 338, 472, 487,
489

Holy Cross, Notre Dame 35, 212, 226, 231, 235, 236, 251, 253,

254, 255, 261, 263, 270, 273, 278, 280,
286, 296, 317, 352, 367, 3^9, 387, 393,
440, 447, 479, 483, 484, 514

538 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

PAGE
Sisters (Continued)

Holy Family of Nazareth, Chicago, Ills 395, 473

Most Precious Blood 246, 274, 290, 291, 313, 349, 364, 370, 390,

444, 468, 486

Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ 232, 233, 242, 247, 304, 307,

456,480,481,485

Of Providence 20, 27, 55, 60, 202, 203, 216, 218, 220, 284, 325,

358, 356, 366, 374, 375, 377, 388, 389, 392, 467

School Sisters of Notre Dame 222, 230, 236, 243, 244, 268,

331,378,382,469

Of St. Agnes 224, 241, 260, 275, 282, 283, 315, 324, 471

Of St. Dominic 359, 400, 474

Of St. Francis 385, 398, 401

Of St. Francis, Lafayette. . .209, 226, 256, 271, 299, 308, 343, 346,

348, 372, 386, 460, 479, 482, 483, 484,
487, 490

Of St. Francis, Maryville, Mo 217, 474, 488

Of St. Joseph 284, 289, 324, 344, 361, 362, 464

Skrzypinski, Rev. Julian 179, 385

Sliemers, C. PP. S., Rev. Willibald 180, 245

Smarius. Rev. C. F 205

Smith, Bridget 360

Smith, George 230

Smogor, C. S. C, Rev. Casimir 353

Soengen, Rev. Bruno 180, 222, 238, 358, 411

Sorin, C. S. C, Very Rev. Edward. . .20, 201, 226, 230, 231, 240, 252, 253,

285, 433, 434, 436, 438, 439, 410, 447,
448, 449, 450, 455

South Bend 24, 67

Sacred Heart 386-387

St. Alexius' 253, 254

St. Casimir's 395-396

St. Hedwig's 351-353

St. Joseph's 252-255

St. Mary's 366-369

St. Patrick's 277-279

St. Stanislaus' 392-393

St. Stephen's 396-397

Spalding, D. D., Most Rev. Martin J 22, 32, 436

Spillard, C. S. C, Rev. Daniel J 180, 277, 279

Spoth, Edward 247

Stachowiak, Rev. Anthony 181, 378, 401

Stallo, O. F. M., Rev. Guido 181, 258, 346, 410, 412

Steger, Rev. John B 181, 224

Steiner, Rev. George. . . 182, 208, 221, 235, 238, 259, 295, 301, 302, 356, 357,

408,410,412,476
Steinkamp, O. F. M., Rev. Clement 182

Index, Continued. 539

PAGE
Stephan, Right Rev. Mgr. Joseph Andrew 182, 256, 283, 285, 292, 293,

294, 298, 299, 300, 304, 305*
308, 309, 327, 328, 334, 335,
358,404,406,410,412,418,
419, 428, 476, 478

Stephan, O. F. M., Rev. Theodore 183 386

Stephens, Victor 215

Stetter, D. D., Rev. Charles Vincent 183, 243, 299, 300, 310, 333

Steurer, Rev. Charles 46, 184, 228, 271, 310

Stockton, Lawrence B 218

Stoffel, C. S. C, Rev. Nicholas J 184, 255

Storey, Thomas 247

Storr, Rev. William 286, 416

Strueder, Rev. .Anthony J 184, 317, 328, 347, 351, 359, 365, 383, 394,

421,423,426

Stuer, Rev. Charles L 184, 234, 399

Sullivan, James 423

Sullivan, Peter 403

Sullivan, Rev. William D 185, 207

Summit 417

Sztuczko, C. S. C, Rev. C 353

Szulak, S. J., Re\ . Francis X 185, 335, 369

Talleu, Ivo 400

Terre Coupee 369-370

Terrooren, Rev. J. F 202, 204

Thiel, John 226

Thiele, Rev. Charles 185, 260, 330, 331, 377, 398, 413, 418, 423, 428

Thripe, Rev. — 262

Tipton 339-341

Toohey, C. S. C, Rev. John M 186, 261, 403

Towle, M 356

Travers, Rev. Thom.as J 186, 395

Tremmel, Rev. John 186, 209, 296, 305, 357, 374, 423

Trost, C. PP. S., Rev. Paulinus 187, 351, 422

Tucker, Hon. M 371

Tuhey, Patrick 322

Tusch, Rev. Andrew 225, 226, 405, 406

Twigg, Rev. James 206, 220, 250, 317, 365, 427

Union City 262-263

Uphaus, C. PP. S., Rev. Joseph 187, 206, 290, 291, 313, 417

Vagnier, C. S. C, Rev. Thomas 187, 254, 358, 403

Vahey, Rev. John 283, 284, 285

Valparaiso 268-270

Vandevennet, Rev. ■ — 240

Vanderpoel, Rev. Theodore 187, 205, 238, 307, 323, 411

Veedersburg 305, 423

Veniard, C. S. C, Rev. Felix 187, 240, 254

Verhofen, John 356

540 The Diocese of Fort Wayne.

PAGE

Vernimont, C. PP. S., Rev. Raymond 188, 329, 371, 406, 420

Vigo, Col 13

Vincennes, Sieur de 10

Vincennes, the Diocese of 15, 18, 19

Yivier, Rev. — 11

Vogeding, August 247

Vogel, Michael ^08

Volkert, Rev. Gabriel 188, 215, 259, 295, 406

Vollmer, O. F. M., Rev. Eustachius 337

A'onSchwedler. Rev. Frederick 188, 223, 228, 262, 267, 293, 319, 322

323, 328, 359, 382

Wabash 67, 208, 300-302

Wagner, Albert 460, 482

Wakefer, Rev. John C 189, 220, 383, 424

Walkerton 250, 329-330

St. Henry's 329

Wallace, C. S. C, Rev. Robert 189, 234, 250

Walsh, Rev. James M 426, 519

Walsh, C. S. C, Rev. Thomas K 232, 439

Walters, Rev. Edward P 189, 205, 212, 213, 219, 272, 273, 318, 319,

325,413,475,476,500

Wardy, Rev. C 261, 267, 402

Wanatah. 250, 370-371

Warsaw 60,202,208,283,415

Weaver, Frederick 276

Weber, Rev. Peter J 190, 287, 358

Webersinke, O. F. M., Rev. Ubaldus 190, 256

Wegemeyer, Rev. Philip 243, 355, 356, 357

Wehrle, Rev. M. P 190, 225, 243, 270, 287, 309, 310, 314

Weiser, Rev. Louis 314

Weiser, Louis 303

Welk, O. F. M., Rev. Justine 191, 258

Welling, O. F. M., Rev. Peter A 191, 309, 354, 410, 412

Wellinghoff, O. F. M., Rev. John E 191, 346

Wemhoff, Rev. John 191, 205, 223, 242, 247, 256, 297, 330

Wendel, O. S. B., Rev. Aemilian 192, 243, 3 14

Weninger, S. J., Rev. F. X 216,223,235,273

Werdein, Rev. James 192, 220, 237, 307, 346, 409

Werling, Rev. Edward 192, 234

Westville 250

Weutz, Rev. Joseph 46, 193, 205, 228, 229, 242, 302

Wheatfield 327, 419

Whiting 376-378

Wiechmann, Rev. Frederick C 193, 217, 265, 279, 280, 301, 302, 360,

379,394,408,413,415,416

Wiedau, Rev. Bernard 193, 245, 259, 275, 310, 312, 322

Wilken, Rev. Herman Theodore 194, 195, 223, 307, 318, 319, 414

Wilkens, O. F. M., Rev. Ignatius M 195, 258, 309, 354

Index, Concluded. 541

PAGE

Willard, Rev. George L 364

Willi, C. PP. S., Rev. Willibald 195, 290

Winamac 245, 312-313

Winchester 263, 427

Winter, Rev. Joseph A 208, 220, 245, 283, 285, 306, 308, 309, 409, 410

Wittmer, C. PP. S., Rev. Theopistus 195, 313

Woeste, Rev. William 195, 238, 242, 276, 41 1

Wolfram, Theodore 215

Woodville 213, 426

Wrobel, Rev. Emanuel Joseph 196, 237, 378, 516

Wm-th, O. F. M., Rev. Richard 196, 386

Yenn, Rev. Simon M 196, 232, 286, 296, 307, 405, 409, 416

Young, Rev. August. . . 197, 205, 228, 336, 345, 349, 204, 417, 478, 486, 487

Zaza, Rev. Z 205

Zborowski, Rev. W 369, 370, 421

Zern, Rev. Gregory 197, 237, 260, 265, 328, 359, 413, 418

Ziegler, O. F. M., Rev. Otto 197, 258

Zircher, Rev. Ignatius F 198, 222, 359, 424

Ziswyler, C. PP. S., Rev. Beatus 198, 245, 259

Zonckcr, Henry 405

Zubowicz, C. S. C, Rev. .\nthony 198, 353, 395

Zucker, Rev. Charles T 213,214,264

Zumbuelte, Rev. Matthias 198, 248, 264, 271, 282, 309, 314, 364, 402,

403, 408, 410, 412, 415, 424, 478
Zurwellen, Rev. Gerard 199, 259, 295, 296, 408, 413, 415

448 6